Effects of oat-bran concentrate on rat serum lipids and liver fat infiltration

Oat bran concentrated with respect to both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre was fed to adult rats, and its effects on serum cholesterol and liver fat infiltration were studied. The feeds contained 15, 30 or 45 g beta-glucan/kg, except in control groups where the fibre of the feed was cellulose. Half the experimental groups received the feeds with an addition of 10 g cholesterol and 2 g cholic acid/kg in order to create an hypercholesterolaemic condition. In normocholesterolaemic rats the concentrated oat bran did not cause any significant changes in serum cholesterol concentrations, but reduced liver weight compared with control group rats fed on the cellulose-containing diet. In hypercholesterolaemic rats the concentrated oat bran reduced serum total cholesterol and increased high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. The effect was seen already at the 15 g/kg concentration of beta-glucan, the higher doses tested did not significantly improve the effect. Infiltration of fat into liver cells, especially in the periportal areas, was observed only in hypercholesterolaemic animals. The fat infiltration was accentuated in proportion to the amount of oat-bran concentrate fed.