Plasma Triglycerides and Thrombosis in Rats

Abstract

THROMBOSIS of the cardiac chambers occurs in rats given hypercholesterolæmic diets containing 40 per cent butter, 5 per cent cholesterol, 2 per cent cholic acid and 0.3 per cent thiouracil¹. If butter is replaced by arachis oil, thrombosis does not occur, but fibrous atherosclerosis of the proximal aorta is seen instead². Other fats besides butter, such as beef fat and hydrogenated arachis oil, are also thrombogenic, and the essential factor is a triglyceride containing a saturated fatty acid such as distearin-mono-olein³. The required triglyceride for atherosclerosis is less clear, but linoleic acid may be involved. Butter alone is not thrombogenic, and cholesterol, cholic acid and thiouracil are all essential for thrombosis, but thiouracil can be omitted if a highly saturated fat such as cocoa butter⁴ is used.