Effect of pure and oxidized cholesterol-rich diets on some biochemical parameters in rats

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the peroxidative damage and hypercholesterolemia induced in male Wistar albino rats by diets enriched either with 1% oxidized cholesterol (OC) (containing 49.8% of cholesterol oxidation products) or pure cholesterol (PC). The damage caused by the OC diet was revealed by a significant rise in red blood cell hemolysis, increased tissue lipid peroxidation and elevated aspartate amino transferase activity as compared with control and PC diets. Liver glutathione-S-transferase activity was decreased by both OC (P < 0.01) and PC (P < 0.05) diets, but glutathione was observed to be decreased only by the OC diet. Plasma triacylglycerol and cholesterol were increased significantly with both the OC and PC diets. Liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol were increased significantly with the OC diet only. These results indicate that the oxidative damage caused by the OC diet is much more pronounced than that caused by the PC diet.