[The effect of benzarone on serum lipids and arterial wall of cholesterol fed rats]

Rats of BD X strain and SHR/NIH Montreal Ingelheim strain (genetic hypertension) received a diet containing 3.9% cholesterol or 3.7% cholesterol plus 0.6% benzarone, respectively, and libitum for 5 or 9 months. The following chemical and ultrastructural results were obtained. 1. The cholesterol-benzarone diet causes a body weight reduction of 10%, a relative increase of serum HDL and a corresponding decrease of serum LDL and VLDL, as compared with the effects of the cholesterol diet. No differences of total serum cholesterol and serum triglycerides between the two groups were observed. 2. The aorta of cholesterol fed animals shows a slight but statistically not significant increase of total cholesterol content. 3. No differences in the composition of connective tissue components (collagen, elastin, uronic acid content) between the cholesterol fed animals and a control group on normal diet could be detected. 4. Electron micrographs of several vessel wall areas from cholesterol fed hypertensive animals revealed fibrosis, necrosis of media muscle cells and an increase of matrix vesicles. Severe damages were found in coronary arteries and in the caudal arteries. 5. Cholesterol feeding of hypertensive rats increases the cholesterol content of liver 10fold and the triglycerides content 3fold as compared with liver lipids of control rats. Benzarone application to cholesterol fed rats effects a statistically significant decrease of liver cholesterol and triglycerides.