• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.850-857
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• 2001

The study was designed to observe whether the conjugated linoleic acid supplemented to diet could reduce plasma levels of glucose and lipids which were increased in 27-weeks old Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty(OLETF) rats. Twenty male OLETF rats of 7 weeks old were fed an experimental diet containing 4.5%(w/w) total fat including 1% CLA and six of twenty rats were sacrified at 6 weeks feeding. The rest of OLETF rats was divided into 2 groups, one group was continuously fed for 14 weeks more the same experimental diet containing 1% CLA and the other group was fed control diet which eliminated CLA. CLA did not significantly reduce food intake and body weight gain in OLETF obese rats. Plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol level were significantly increased at older age of OLETF obese rats, but CLA could significantly reduce plasma cholesterol and triglyceride increased in obese rats. However, CLA was not strong enough to reduce the increased plasma glucose level and hepatic lipogenic enzyme acitivies. CLA was mostly deposited in epididymal fat pad and could be incorporated into hepatic microsomal membrane and did interfere the conversion of C18 : 0 into C18 : 1 in liver. In conclusion, CLA could have anti-atherogenic effect by reducing plasma cholesterol and triglyceride which was increased in genetically obese rats, but CLA(1%) was not good source of dietary fatty acid to reduce body fatness and plasma glucose which was increased by obese gene in older rats.