A long-term feeding of sphingolipids affected the levels of plasma cholesterol and hepatic triacylglycerol but not tissue phospholipids and sphingolipids

Semi-purified diets supplemented with either 1% sphingolipids plus 4% soybean oil or 5% soybean oil were fed to rats through two generations. Growth and tissue weights were not affected by the supplementation of sphingolipids. The plasma total cholesterol decreased significantly by about 30% with a tendency of elevated hepatic cholesterol but without changes in cholesterol levels of brain, spleen and epidermis in rats fed the sphingolipid diet. Hepatic triacylglycerol increased by 70% but plasma triacylglycerol was not affected. The concentrations of phospholipid classes including sphingomyelin in plasma and liver were unaffected. These results indicate that a long-term feeding of sphingolipids can modify plasma and hepatic cholesterol and glyceride metabolism without significant effects on tissue sphingolipid and phospholipid levels. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.