Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Reference values for the serum lipid profile of albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) of varied ages and sexes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Comparative Clinical Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) are the most commonly used laboratory animals for studies on the effects of drugs, supplements, herbal extracts and diets on the serum lipid profile (SLP), yet there is no comprehensive set of reference values for the SLP of albino rats of varied ages and sexes in available literature. This study was designed to assay the SLP of albino rats of varied ages and sexes. A total of 480 Sprague Dawley albino rats were used for the study, composed of 240 females and 240 males. The age sets studied were rats of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 30, 40, and 50 weeks of age. For each age set, the SLP of 24 females and 24 males was assayed. Standard biochemical procedures were followed in the SLP assay after a 12-h overnight fast of the rats. Results showed that serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) significantly rose (p < 0.05) from their week 4 values in both sexes to a peak recorded at week 6 of age before a progressive decrease across the ages, while the serum triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLC) were at their peak at week 4 of age in both sexes and significantly (p < 0.05) progressively decreased across the ages to stabilize from weeks 20 to 50 of age. The overall mean ± SEM values of the SLP (milligrams per deciliter) of all the rats used for the study were as follows: TC, 113.99 ± 2.18; HDLC, 49.14 ± 1.05; triglyceride, 76.13 ± 2.38; VLDLC, 15.22 ± 0.48 and LDLC, 49.64 ± 1.82. The mean TC, triglyceride, VLDLC and LDLC of the male rats were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the females, but the mean HDLC of the females was higher (p > 0.05) than that of the males. It was concluded that there were significant variations in the SLP of albino rats across the ages studied and also significant differences between the sexes at certain ages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Al-Attar AM (2010) Hypolipidemic effects of coenzyme Q10 in experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic model in female rats. Am J Pharmacol Toxicol 5:14–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Albers JJ, Warnick GR, Cheung MC (1978) Quantification of high density lipoproteins. Lipids 13:926–932

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allain CC, Poon LS, Chan CS, Richmond W, Fu PC (1974) Enzymatic determination of total cholesterol. Clin Chem 20:470–475

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Rewashdeh AYA (2009) Lipid profile of rats fed cholesterol, barley and wheat. Pakistan J Nutri 8:1722–1733

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amore B, Chiavegato A, Paulon T, Pauletto P, Sartore S (1996) Atherosclerosis resistance in rats correlates with expansion of an immature smooth muscle cell population. J Vascular Res 6:442–453

    Google Scholar 

  • Barclay M, Barclay RK, Skipsi VP (1963) High density lipoprotein concentrations in men and women. Nature 200:362–363

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barter P, Gotto AM, LaRosa JC, Maroni J, Szarek M, Grundy SM, Kastelein JJP, Bittner V, Fruchart J (2007) HDL cholesterol, very low levels of LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular events. New Eng J Med 357:1301–1310

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown MS, Goldstein JS (1992) Koch's postulates for cholesterol. Cell 71:187–188

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brunzell JD, Davidson M, Furberg CD, Goldberg RB, Howard BV, Stein JH, Witztum JL (2008) Lipoprotein management in patients with cardiometabolic risk–consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Diabetes Care 31:811–822

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bucolo G, David H (1973) Quantitative determination of serum triglycerides by use of enzymes. Clin Chem 19:476–482

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NCEP (National Cholesterol Education Program) (2002) Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults–Adult Treatment Panel III, Final Report, NCEP, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA.

  • Christie W (2003) Lipid analysis: isolation, separation, identification, and structural analysis of lipids. Oily Press, Scotland

    Google Scholar 

  • Drexel H (2006) Reducing risk by raising HDL-cholesterol: the evidence. Eur Heart J Suppl 8:F23–F29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS (1972) Estimation of the concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 18:499–502

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glass CK, Witztum JL (2001) Atherosclerosis: the road ahead. Cell 104:503–516

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AHA (American Heart Association) (2009) LDL and HDL cholesterol. What's bad and what's good. At: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180. Accessed Oct. 8, 2009

  • Igbokwe IO, Buratai LB, Ubah CL, Aromde A, Igbokwe NA (2009) Serum and hepatic lipid levels in rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei. Comp Clin Pathol 18:191–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ihedioha JI, Okafor C, Ihedioha TE (2004) The haematological profile of the Sprague–Dawley outbred albino rat in Nsukka, Nigeria. Anim Res Int 1:125–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen RG, Hagerty MM, Mcmahon KE (1978) Lipid in human milk and infant formulas: a review. Am J Clin Nutri 31:990–1016

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Law MR (1999) Lowering heart disease risk with cholesterol reduction: evidence from observational studies and clinical trials. Eur Heart J Suppl 1:S3–S8

    Google Scholar 

  • Libby P, Schoenbeck U, Mach F, Selwyn AP, Ganz P (1998) Current concepts in cardiovascular pathology: the role of LDL cholesterol in plaque rupture and stabilization. Am J Med 104:14S–18S

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • LRCP (Lipid Research Clinics Program) (1984a) The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial results. I: reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease. J Am Med Assoc 251:351–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LRCP (Lipid Research Clinics Program) (1984b) The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial results. II: The relationship of reduction in incidence of coronary heart disease to cholesterol lowering. J Am Med Assoc 251:365–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson DL, Cox MM (2000) Lehninger, Principles of biochemistry, 3rd edn. Worth Publishing, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • NIH (National Institutes of Health) (1999) Report of the National Institutes of Health rat model priority meeting, May 3, 1999. National Institutes of Health, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Ononogbu IC (1988) Lipid and lipoproteins: chemistry, methodology, metabolism, biochemical and physiological importance. New Africa Publishing Co. Ltd, Owerri

    Google Scholar 

  • Oslon RE (1998) Discovery of the lipoproteins, their role in fat transport and their significance as risk factors. J Nutri 128:439S–443S

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw JE, Lewis B, Rifkind BM (1990) The value of lowering cholesterol after myocardial infarction. New Engl J Med 323:1112–1119

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schoen FJ (2004) Atherosclerosis. In: Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N (eds) Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease, 7th edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 515–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Stamler J, Wentworth D, Neaton JD, for the MRFIT Research Group (1986) Is relationship between serum cholesterol and risk of premature death from coronary heart disease continuous and graded? Findings in 356 222 primary screenees of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). J Am Med Assoc 256:2823–2828

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stockham SL, Scott MA (2008) Lipids. In: Fundamentals of veterinary clinical pathology, 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishing, Iowa. pp. 763–782

  • Stone SH (1954) Method of obtaining venous blood from the orbital sinus of a rat or mouse. Science 119:100–102

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turbino-Ribeiro SML, Silva ME, Chianca DA Jr, de Paula H, Cardoso LM, Colombari E, Pedrosa ML (2003) Iron overload in hypercholesterolemic rats affects iron homeostasis and serum lipids but not blood pressure. J Nutri 133:15–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) (2005) Dietary guidelines for Americans 2005. United States Department of Health and Human Services, USDA, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Warnick GR, Knopp RH, Fitzpatrick V, Branson L (1990) Estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by the Friedewald equation is adequate for classifying patients on the basis of nationally recommended cut points. Clin Chem 36:15–19

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wong ND, Wilson PWF, Kannel WB (1991) Serum cholesterol as a prognostic factor after myocardial infarction: the Framingham Study. Ann Int Med 115:687–693

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zivny P, Zivna H, Pavlikova L, Hruba P, Palicka V, Soukup T, Simakova E (2007) The effect of cholesterol and orotic acid administration and methionine-choline deficiency on liver DNA sybthesis and lipid metabolism in rats. Folia Gasteroenterol Hepatol 5:13–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of staff of the Biomedical Research Support Unit of the Foundation for Education and Research on Health, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Ikechukwu Ihedioha.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ihedioha, J.I., Noel-Uneke, O.A. & Ihedioha, T.E. Reference values for the serum lipid profile of albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) of varied ages and sexes. Comp Clin Pathol 22, 93–99 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1372-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1372-7

Keywords

Navigation