Influence of dietary fiber on lipids and aortic composition of vervet monkeys.

A semipurified, cholesterol-free diet containing 40% carbohydrate can produce aortic sudanophilia or aortic atherosclerosis in vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops pygerethrus) depending on the particular carbohydrate fed. Four groups of vervet monkeys (three males and three females per group) were fed semipurified diets containing lactose. Two of the groups were also fed 15% cellulose (C) or 15% cellulose plus 0.1% cholesterol (CC); the two other groups were fed 15% pectin (P) or 15% pectin plus 0.1% cholesterol (PC). The average serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels over the entire feeding period (mg/dl +/- SEM) were, for C, 156 +/- 14 and 95 +/- 5; for P, 173 +/- 15 and 112 +/- 8; for CC, 187 +/- 27 and 122 +/- 21; and for PC, 155 +/- 11 and 108 +/- 7. Cholesterol levels at autopsy (mg/dl +/- SEM) were, for C, 103 +/- 6; for P, 108 +/- 16; for CC, 92 +/- 9; and for PC, 106 +/- 7. Aortic sudanophilia (percentage of area) was, for C, 5.9 +/- 2.7; for P, 13.5 +/- 9.4; for CC, 5.3 +/- 2.1; and for PC, 21.6 +/- 10.3. Dietary pectin led to more severe sudanophilia (increased by 129% in the absence of cholesterol and by 308% in its presence) than did cellulose. Analysis of aortic glycosaminoglycans (GAG) revealed that dermatan sulfate levels fell in both cholesterol-fed groups, and chondroitin sulfate fell in aortas of group CC. Heparan sulfate levels were unaffected by cholesterol feeding. Hexuronic acid, galactosamine and hexosamine levels were elevated in the pectin-fed monkeys, but levels were unaffected by dietary cholesterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)