MACROPHAGE STIMULATION REDUCES THE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS OF STRESSED ANDUNSTRESSED RATS

Male, Sprague-Dawley rats were either treated with zymosan, a nonspeci fic macrophage stimulator, or saline vehicle. Half of each group were then subjected to a stress procedure, the other half remained in their home cage. Results indicate that zymosan-treated animals had lower le vels of total, low-density/very-low-density, and high-density lipoprot ein than vehicle controls. Stressed animals had higher levels of the c holesterol parameters than did home cage controls. Manipulation of mac rophage levels may be a prophylactic manipulation to combat stress-ind uced increases in cholesterol.