Development of atherosclerosis in alloxan diabetic rats

Rats with alloxan-induced diabetes developed severe atherosclerotic lesions when they were maintained on a 0.25% cholesterol diet for one year. The atheromatous changes developed at the aortic arch, appeared as early as 3 months after the start of the experiment, and increased thereafter. The diabetic rats also developed atherosclerosis when they were fed standard rat chow, but the area of the atheromatous lesion was about one tenth of that in rats fed the high-cholesterol diet. Normal rats did not develop atherosclerosis even when fed the high-cholesterol diet for one year. The alloxan diabetic rats showed no increase in body weight, but developed serum glucose levels as high as 600-800 mg/dl as well as high serum cholesterol levels and lower serum HDL-cholesterol levels. The development of atherosclerosis in these rats was significantly related to an increase in the serum cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, the atherogenic index (TC-HDLC/HDLC), and the serum total cholesterol level, but was not related to the serum glucose, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, or lipid peroxide levels. These relationships were found as early as B-16 weeks after the start of the experiment. These data suggest that the serum cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, the atherogenic index, and the total cholesterol level are important risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis in rats with alloxan diabetes.