SERUM-CHOLESTEROL LEVELS OF NONDIABETIC AND STREPTOZOTOCIN-DIABETIC RATS FED A HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIET

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of dietary cholest erol on the total blood cholesterol levels of nondiabetic and streptoz otocin-diabetic rats. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: nondiabetic/control diet (C), streptozotocin-diabetic/co ntrol diet (D), nondiabetic/control diet + 2% cholesterol (CH), and st reptozotocin-diabetic/control diet + 2% cholesterol (DH). Plasma chole sterol levels were not significantly elevated in the D group (63.4 +/- 9.0 mg/dl) when compared with the C group (71.3 +/- 3.9 mg/dl) but we re significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the CH group (89.8 +/- 8.1 mg/dl ). There was nearly a six-fold significant elevation (p < 0.0025) in t he DH-group (530.0 +/- 58.0 mg/dl) contrasted to the nondiabetic rats fed the same diet. The results of this study indicate that streptozoto cin-diabetic rats fed a high cholesterol diet experience hypercholeste rolemia.