Altered lipid profile, postheparin lipolytic activity, and xanthoma of choroid plexus in vasectomized rabbits fed an atherogenic diet.

Plasma and erthrocyte lipid profile and lipoprotein lipase activity in postheparin plasma on vasectomized rabbits were studied and also the incidence of atherosclerosis in different arterial beds. Four groups of animals were studied, sham-vasectomized and vasectomized animals fed stock diet (groups A1, A2) and sham-vasectomized and vasectomized animals fed atherogenic diet (groups B1, B2). Elevated levels of neutral lipids and phospholipids in plasma and in erythrocytes of the vasectomized rabbits were observed. This elevation of blood lipids was the result of an increase in all fractions, however, phosphatidylcholine increased more than other phospholipid fractions in plasma. In erythrocytes the increase of phosphatidylethanolamine was greater than that of phosphatidylcholine. The accumulation of triglyceride-rich plasma lipids in all the vasectomized rabbits may be the result of a relatively decreased stimulation of postheparin lipolytic activity. The vasectomized animals given atherogenic diet revealed a significantly greater aortic sudanophilia and extensive occluding coronary atherosclerosis as compared to lesions seen in sham-vasectomized rabbits fed the same diet. Two rabbits of group B2 had xanthomatous lesions in choroid plexus of brain.