Serial inbreeding of rabbits with hereditary hyperlipidemia (WHHL-rabbit): incidence and development of atherosclerosis and xanthoma

Y Watanabe - Atherosclerosis, 1980 - atherosclerosis-journal.com
Y Watanabe
Atherosclerosis, 1980atherosclerosis-journal.com
The WHHL-rabbit (Watanabe-heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit) is a strain of rabbit with a
consistently inherited hyperlipidemic trait produced by inbreeding from a mutant discovered
in 1973. 1.(1) The alleles for this trait have been inherited unfailingly to yield a total of 154
WHHL-rabbits to date. 2.(2) These rabbits showed abnormally increased serum levels of
cholesterol (S-Ch) and triglyceride (S-TG) at various ages, increased approximately 8-to 14-
fold in comparison with control levels in normal Japanese white rabbits. The serum …
Abstract
The WHHL-rabbit (Watanabe-heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit) is a strain of rabbit with a consistently inherited hyperlipidemic trait produced by inbreeding from a mutant discovered in 1973.
  • 1.(1) The alleles for this trait have been inherited unfailingly to yield a total of 154 WHHL-rabbits to date.
  • 2.(2) These rabbits showed abnormally increased serum levels of cholesterol (S-Ch) and triglyceride (S-TG) at various ages, increased approximately 8- to 14-fold in comparison with control levels in normal Japanese white rabbits. The serum lipoproteins displayed an electrophoretic pattern characterized by a broad β-lipoprotein band and a markedly diminished α-lipoprotein band.
  • 3.(3) Necropsy examination performed on 75 WHHL-rabbits showed spontaneous development of aortic atherosclerosis in all cases over 5 months of age (63/63) and xanthoma of digital joints in 60% of cases from the ages of about 16 months.
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