Serum lipids of young Show Racer and White Carneau pigeons fed a semipurified diet with or without cholesterol
Young, F.
Journal of Nutrition 104(6): 719-725
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 4830276 Document Number: 70330
Show Racer (SR) and White Carneau (WC) pigeons 6 weeks old were fed on a semipurified diet with or without cholesterol. The birds were autopsied at the start and after 6, 12, 18 and 24 weeks of feeding. The aortae were examined and graded for atherosclerotic lesions. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid were estimated. Aortic atherosclerotic lesions were observed only in WC on the cholesterol-containing diet for 12 to 24 weeks. Significant differences in serum cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid were observed between SR and WC on the basal diet without cholesterol. Such differences occurred only after 6 or 12 weeks when the SR had lower values of all 3 classes of lipids. Serum free, ester- and total cholesterol of both breeds rose significantly when cholesterol was added to the diet. When cholesterol-supplemented diet was given to the SR, serum triglyceride concentrations rose significantly after 6, 12 and 24 weeks over those on the basal diet while no such rise was observed in the WC. When cholesterol-supplemented diet was given to the SR, serum phospholipid concentrations rose significantly after 6, 18 and 24 weeks over those on the basal diet while for the WC this occurred only at 6 weeks. Hypercholesterolaemia occurred among those WC which exhibited aortic lesions while WC without lesions had much lower serum cholesterol. The aortae of the SR, even under hypercholesterolaemic condition, were normal. It could be concluded from this study that differences in lipid metabolism exist between the two breeds of pigeons. In these experiments hypercholesterolaemia proved to be a necessary but not sufficient pathogenic factor in atherogenesis. The additional "sufficient factor" in this context was the genetic background.