Reduction of atherogenicity of natural fats by small additions of ethyl linoleate in the diet of the rat

Ethyl linoleate was substituted in part for the 20% of butterfat, hydrogenated coconut oil, lard, or tallow in an atherogenic diet fed to rats throughout a 40‐week experimental period. Aortic degeneration, evidenced by lipid infiltration of the intima, was observed in the control groups but not in the linoleate‐fed groups. Groups that received butterfat or hydrogenated coconut oil showed reduced plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels when fed 2% of ethyl linoleate; groups that received lard or tallow showed no significant change in plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels when fed 2% of ethyl linoleate; and groups that received a fat‐free diet with 2% of ethyl linoleate showed lower plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels and more complete aortic protection than groups that were fed 20% of corn oil or cottonseed oil. The data suggest that, in the cholesterol‐fed rat, the kind and amount of dietary fatty esters may influence aortic condition via some route(s) other than control of plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels.