Key result
Selenium supplementation in high-fat diet-fed rabbits suppressed the increase in serum cholesterol and triglycerides and prevented the development of atherogenic plaques and ultrastructural alterations.
Why the study?
Does selenium supplementation prevent aortic ultrastructural changes and lipid elevation in male New Zealand White rabbits fed a high-fat diet?
Does selenium supplementation prevent aortic ultrastructural changes and lipid elevation in male New Zealand White rabbits fed a high-fat diet?
Selenium supplementation demonstrates therapeutic potential by inhibiting the onset and progression of aortic disease and lipid elevation in a high-fat diet rabbit model.
Selenium effects in this rabbit model are hypothesis-generating; human trials are required before any clinical consideration.
Experiments were carried out to examine the changes occurring in the wall of rabbit aortae following high-fat diet (HFD) feeding as well as HFD + selenium supplementation. Male New Zealand White rabbits were divided into three groups-control, HFD-fed and HFD + Se supplementation-and were treated for three months. The study depicted that levels of serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were markedly increased in the HFD-fed group as compared with control animals. However, in the HFD + Se-fed group, these levels were markedly suppressed vis-à-vis animals fed on HFD only. Development of atherogenic and atheromatic plaques has been shown at the light microscopy level in HFD-fed rabbits, whereas these developments were not visible in the HFD + Se-fed rabbits. Transmission electron microscopy findings indicated altered ultrastructure in the endothelial cells of the intimal layer as well as smooth-muscle cells of the medial layer in HFD-fed animals. However, these findings indicated normal ultrastructure in most of the cells, with little ultrastructural alterations from animals supplemented with Se along with HFD feeding. The study on the whole depicted the ability of Se to inhibit the onset of progression of aortic disease and hence has relevance to its therapeutic potential.
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Mehta et al. (2002) studied Atherosclerosis. Selenium supplementation vs. High-fat diet only and normal control was evaluated on Ultrastructural changes in the aortic wall, serum total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Selenium supplementation in high-fat diet-fed rabbits suppressed the increase in serum cholesterol and triglycerides and prevented the development of atherogenic plaques and ultrastructural alterations.
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