The effect of dietary casein and soy protein on cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein metabolism in the rat

Abstract

Rats fed a high-cholesterol semipurified diet containing casein developed higher levels of serum cholesterol than soy-fed animals. The hypercholesterolaemia of casein-fed rats was due to accumulation of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), as measured by increased concentrations of serum VLDL cholesterol, protein and apoprotein B. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was similar for the two dietary groups. Cholesterol absorption, as measured by the dual isotope ratio method and by direct measurement of cholesterol secretion into thoracic duct lymph, did not differ between the two groups. Cholesterol kinetics were derived from plasma cholesterol specific radioactivity curves and the ca..