Long-term effects in two generations of enriched soybean and olive oil diets on some cardiovascular and biochemical parameters in male rats.

The effect of ingestion of enriched oil diets (soybean and olive) during two generations on some cardiovascular and biochemical parameters was measured in male rats. The animals (dams and pups) were fed with 3 different diets: standard diet, standard diet enriched with 7% of soybean oil and standard diet enriched with 7% of olive oil. At 2.5 months of age, male rats (first and second generation) after remaining in metabolic cages for a period of 10 days, were then anaesthetized, and body and heart weight, systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure and heart rate, total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin were measured. Experimental diets produced over-weight only in the second generation. Blood pressure values were within normal limits, but in animals eating soybean oil these parameters were significantly increased in the second generation. While the concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin in the second generation were significantly greater in experimental animals, and the concentrations of HDL-cholesterol and glucose were lower than in the controls, only the concentration of insulin was significantly greater in the experimental animals in the first generation. Plasmatic value of cholesterol was significantly increased in animals eating olive oil and plasmatic value of glucose was significantly decreased in animals eating soybean oil in the first generation. These results suggest that chronic ingestion of enriched oil diets negatively affects a number of key parameters implicated in the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in male rats.