Aorta wall quantitative alterations due to different long-term high-fat diet in rats

Twenty Wistar male rats, with ages varying from 21 days to 12 months, were fed with diets supplemented by soybean oil (S group), canola oil (CA group), lard and egg yolk (LE group), and canola plus lard and egg yolk (CA+ LE group). The LE group presented the highest heart mass/body mass ratio and the highest blood pressure as well. The aortic structure suffered a number of alterations, from CA rats group (minor alterations) to LE and CA+ LE rats group (major alterations). The CA group showed the smallest aorta thickness. No significant differences among groups were found concerning the number of aortic lamellae and the density of tunica media smooth muscle nuclei. Surface density of the aortic lamellae was greater in the CA group and smaller in the LE group. These results suggest that the dietary intake of canola oil could attenuate the aorta structure aging process with a favorable BP maintenance. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.