COMPARISON OF DIETARY CASEIN AND SOYBEAN PROTEIN EFFECTS ON PLASMA-LIPID AND GASTRIN-LEVELS, HEPATIC DELTA-6-DESATURASE ACTIVITY AND CORONARY ARTERIOSCLEROSIS IN MALE SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS - A 9-MONTH STUDY

An increased concentration of gastrin was observed in plasma of male S prague-Dawley strain rats fed on soybean protein diet for a 9-month pe riod, compared with rats fed on casein diet. Both diets contained 0.5% (w/w) cholesterol. Protein-dependent differences were also observed i n the fatty acid pattern of hepatic phospholipids, hepatic Delta(6)-de saturase activity, and plasma cholesterol. No signs of arteriosclerosi s were observed in the aortas. Sixty percent of the hearts showed vari ous degrees of lipid staining in coronary arterial branches of differe nt sizes. Despite a large difference in plasma cholesterol level, ther e was no quantitative or qualitative difference between groups in the occurrence of coronary lipid staining.