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The Effect of Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance on High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Selected Tissue Cholesterol Levels in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats^1,2,

The Nutrition Program, The Pennsylvanta State University, University Park, PA 16802

Obese and lean Zucker rats were studied to compare the effects of a 6-week weight loss regimen (period 1) and a subsequent 4-week weight maintenance period (period 2) on high density lipoprotein (HDL₂, d = 1.063-1.125 g/m.) cholesterol, plasma, adipose tissue, liver, and total body cholesterol. The effects of weight loss were compared with animals not subjected to weight reduction (control, period 0). Weight loss was achieved by reducing food intake below maintenance levels. Plasma cholesterol did not change significantly among the three periods in obese and lean rats. HDL₂ cholesterol was higher (P < 0.05) in obese and lean rats at period 2 compared with the other periods. Adipose tissue cholesterol (per cell) did not differ among the three periods in obese and lean rats. Liver cholesterol (milligrams/gram liver) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) at period 1 and sustained this level at period 2 in lean rats, whereas liver cholesterol was unchanged among the three periods in obese rats. Carcass cholesterol (milligrams/gram carcass) in obese rats increased significantly (P < 0.05) after period 1 and sustained this level after period 2. Carcass cholesterol concentration was unchanged in lean rats. These data suggest that consideration must be given to homeostatic mechanisms of carcass and liver cholesterol concentrations in studies examining changes in plasma HDL₂ cholesterol levels.

KEY WORDS: • HDL cholesterol • obesity • carcass cholesterol • Zucker rats • adipose tissue cholesterol • liver cholesterol

¹ This research was supported by a grant from The Weight Watchers Foundation, Inc. and was authorized for publication as paper no. 6423 in the journal series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Presented in part at the meeting of the Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology, Atlanta, GA. Rogers, K. L., Etberton, T. D. and Kris-Etherton, P. M., Fed. Proc. 40, 328 (1981).

³ Address reprint requests to: P. M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., The Pennsylvanis State University, 202 Human Development Building, University Park, PA 16802.

Manuscript received 21 March 1983.