Effects of quantity and unsaturation of dietary fat on serum components in normal and diabetic Macaca nigra

Dietary fat affects serum lipids independently of dietary cholesterol. Normal and diabetic monkeys (Macaca nigra) were fed cereal-based, specially formulated diets with either a low fat (LF = 2.5%) or a higher fat (13.2%) content; the latter had varying concentrations of safflower and coconut oil to attain greater polyunsaturation (SFO) or saturation (CCO) in the diets. Dietary cholesterol was less than 0.01%. Serum triglyceride concentrations were greatest when monkeys consumed the LF (higher carbohydrate) diet and lowest when they consumed the SFO diet. Concentrations were greater in diabetic than in normal monkeys fed the LF and SFO diets, but both groups had similar concentrations when fed the CCO diet. Cholesterol levels in diabetic monkeys were only slightly higher than in normals regardless of diet; in both groups, levels were lowest when the LF diet was fed and highest when the CCO diet was fed. The quantity of fat had a greater effect on serum cholesterol than did the degree of polyunsaturation. In both groups, triglyceride concentrations correlated significantly with VLDL protein, and cholesterol levels correlated with LDL protein. Thus the responses of Macaca nigra to dietary fat manipulation depend upon both the diet fat content and composition as well as the normal or diabetic metabolic state of each monkey.