Dietary restriction and the development of atherosclerosis

I. White Carneau pigeons develop genetic atherosclerosis. The aorta shows intimal cushions at birth, cholesterol accumulation at 9 months of age and definite atherosclerotic lesions by 3 years of age. To determine whether these age-related arterial changes can be prevented by dietary restriction started early in life, ymonth-old pigeons were subjected to dietary restriction (40 % of ad lib. diet). 2. Plasma cholesterol levels, cholesterol excretion and aortic cholesterol concentrations were compared with those of pigeons on the ad lib. diet. The pigeons on dietary restriction showed a decrease of 30 % in weight. The plasma cholesterol levels of these pigeons decreased 20 % when compared with those of the ad lib. group. In the dietary-restricted group, both the faecal excretion of bile acids (P < 0.01) and the aortic cholesterol level (P < 0.02) were significantly reduced, with changes in the free and in the esterified sterol fraction. 3. This study shows, for the first time, that age-related accumulation of aortic cholesterol can be prevented or at least delayed by dietary restriction started early in life.