Application of two multi-dimensional analytical methods to histological study of the aorta in dietary atherosclerosis of the rabbit.

Multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, discriminant analysis) have been applied to the histological data of arterial lesions in experimental atherosclerosis of the rabbit. We carried out a comparative study of: 1. the lesion observed at three levels of the aortas; origin of the aorta, thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta, and 2. the lesions according to the type of fat ingested during the experimental period. Five edible fats were studied: butter, olive oil, arachid oil, rapeseed oil rich in erucic acid, and rapeseed oil poor in erucic acid (Primor). This study re-affirms the possible importance of the above mentioned methods in evaluation by histology of lesions induced in the arteries by the different hyperlipidic regimens. Indeed these methods are complementary and enable the introduction of statistical methods in the quantitative evaluation of morphological lesions.