Utility of selected line (SEA) of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) for the discovery of new anti-atherosclerosis drugs.

A special line of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) was developed by selective breeding to screen for new drugs that are effective in either preventing or reversing atherosclerosis. By the fourth or fifth generation, approximately 95% of the males of the selected line developed aortic atherosclerosis in response to a 2% cholesterol atherogenic diet. The arterial cholesterol level was significantly elevated after 1 week on the diet and was 14 times the control level after 14 weeks. Significant macroscopic lesions developed as early as 4 weeks. Neither arterial cholesterol nor grossly visible fatty plaques regressed after return to a normal diet for 8 weeks. After 2 weeks on the atherogenic diet, both serum cholesterol and heparin precipitating lipoproteins were maximally elevated. Serum cholecterol returned to normal within 1 month after removal from the diet, and by 2 months, the heparin precipitating lipoproteins had almost returned to baseline values. The male of the selected line of Japanese quail was shown to be an economical and practical animal model for the screening of anti-atherosclerosis drugs; it is small, inexpensive, and readily develops atherosclerosis.