Carbohydrate restriction reduces lipids and inflammation and prevents atherosclerosis in Guinea pigs

There is limited information on how dietary carbohydrate restriction (CR) or the combination of dietary cholesterol (chol) and CR may affect atherosclerosis development. Guinea pigs were used to evaluate the effects of chol and CR on aortic cholesterol accumulation, mechanical properties of aortas and cytokine production.

Ten male guinea pigs were fed either low (L) or high (H) chol in combination with CR or high carbohydrate (control) for 12 wk.

Groups fed the high chol (control-H and CR-H) had significantly higher concentrations of cholesterol in aortas and higher activity of serum phospholipase A2 than the L groups. CR resulted in significantly lower concentrations of small LDL particles and aortic cytokines and chemokynes than the control groups. Aortas from the control-H and the CR-L were stiffer than those from the control-L and the CR-H groups. This finding could be explained by the reduction in arterial stiffness during the early stages of atherosclerotic.

These results demonstrate that CR has a major impact on atherogenicity.