Influence of water quality on cholesterol induced systemic pathology.

Reduced systemic pathology was identified in cholesterol-fed rabbits administered distilled water compared to animals drinking local tap water; this included pathology of the liver and spleen. Studies directed at determining the effect of the trace metals aluminum, copper and zinc on cholesterol-induced systemic pathology were undertaken. As previously reported copper added to distilled drinking water (0.12 PPM) increased Alzheimer-like pathology in the brain, but did not augment pathology of the spleen or liver. Aluminum added to distilled water (0.36 PPM) administered to drink exacerbated cholesterol-induced hepatic pathology but not splenic pathology, and addition of 0.36 PPM zinc to the distilled drinking water failed to affect pathology of either the liver or spleen. The overall increase in both central and systemic pathology observed among cholesterol-fed rabbits administered tap water seems to be due to different trace metal contaminants occurring in tap water.