NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF SYNTHETIC OIL——Ⅱ. Effect of Synthetic Oil on Body Weight Gain, Blood Cholesterol, Liver Weight, Liver Fat and Liver Cholesterol Level During the Inducing Period of Hypercholesterolemia / 营养学报

ABSTRACT

The effects of synthetic oil used as dietary fat source on the body weight, organ weight, liver and serum lipids of rats during the hypercho-lesterolemic inducing period were investigated, and comparison was made with lard and soybean oil diets.Weanling albino rats were fed first with stock diet for 3 weeks. Bloods were collected from tails, and serum cholesterol contents were determined. Based upon the body weight and serum cholesterol level, animals were then divided into 5 groups. Four groups were fed respectively with synthetic oil, synthetic oil plus linoleic acid, lard and soybean oil diets, all were supplemented with 1% cholesterol. The, fifth group served as control, was fed with soybean oil diet without cholesterol. Body weights and serum lipids (cholesterol and triglyceride) were measured at intervals during the experiment. Organ weights and liver lipids (total fat, cholesterol and triglyceride) were determined at the end of the experiment.The results showed that there was marked sex difference between male and female rats, that is, synthetic oil diet caused significant lower body weights and lower serum cholesterol levels to female but not to male rats.Cholesterol inducing diets apparently increased the liver weights of all animals, yet fat accumulation only occured in those livers of rats fed with lard and soybean oil diets. The liver fat contents of animals of both synthetic oil and synthetic oil plus linoleic acid groups were at normal level.This experiment reveals that when dietary cholesterol intake is high, the use of synthetic oil as a dietary fat source for maintaining a normal lipid metabolic condition in the body seems beneficial.