• R A Cooper, M H Leslie, D Knight, and D K Detweiler.
• J Lipid Res. 1980 Nov 1;21(8):1082-9.

AbstractA diet supplemented with cholesterol and coconut oil is atherogenic in dogs. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of this diet on red cells in pure-bred beagles and greyhounds. Within 3 days after the initiation of this diet red cell cholesterol/phospholipid increased and membrane fluidity decreased, with maximum changes attained by 12 weeks. Serum lipoprotein cholesterol/phospholipid also increased, and serum from cholesterol-fed dogs transferred cholesterol to normal red cells. Significant abnormalities of liver function developed in all cholesterol-fed dogs. Hematocrit declined beginning at 6 weeks, with a parallel increase in osmotic fragility. Reticulocytes were elevated in beagles but normal in greyhounds. Red cell morphology resembled acanthocytes or spur cells. All red cell parameters returned to normal within 4 weeks after stopping the diet. These studies demonstrate that a cholestrol-enriched, atherogenic diet causes profound and reversible changes in the lipid composition, membrane fluidity, and morphology of red cells in dogs.

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