The effect of niceritrol (pentaerythritoltetra-nicotinate) and clofibrate upon hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis induced in rabbits by cholesterol-free semisynthetic diets

Hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis were induced in rabbits by cholesterol-free semisynthetic diets containing 8–15% coconut oil or 8% butter.

The coconut oil diet increased the levels of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides (TG) and also produced moderate lipid infiltration of the aorta. Addition of 0.5% niceritrol to the diet significantly inhibited the increase of cholesterol and TG in total plasma and in the “VLD”- and “LD”-fractions. The lipid-infiltrated area and the contents of total cholesterol and cholesterol esters of the aorta were reduced by niceritrol. Clofibrate in a concentration of 0.33% gave no significant reduction of the lipid levels in the plasma or aorta. Niceritrol combined with clofibrate did not protect the aorta to a higher degree than niceritrol alone.

The butter diet induced a more moderate hypercholesterolemia with a mean level of about 300 mg/100 ml but with no increase of plasma TG. Addition of niceritrol resulted in somewhat lower mean values of plasma cholesterol but the reduction was not significant. The butter diet induced a slight atherosclerosis of a variable degree. After addition of niceritrol to the diet the mean level of aortic cholesterol lay within the normal region.