Atherosclerosis in lemmings and voles fed a high fat, high cholesterol diet

Two species of lemmings and two species of voles were fed a high fat, high cholesterol diet for several months. Clethrionomys rutilus had a moderate (2x) rise in serum cholesterol while Microtus oeconomus had a marked increase (5x); Dicrostonyx stevensoni and Dicrostonyx rubricatus had extreme increases (8x and 11x, respectively). Typical lesions of atherosclerosis were observed in all species, but D. rubricatus had significantly more severe lesions. Hepatic fatty infiltration was the principal pathologic lesion found besides atherosclerosis in those test rodents which died spontaneously.