Effect of Cholesterol Content in Diet on Atorvastatin(ATO)-induced Liver Injury in Golden Hamsters

[Objectives]The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cholesterol content in high-fat diet on atorvastatin(ATO)-induced liver injury in golden hamsters and compare the degree of liver injury caused by two high-fat diets with different cholesterol proportions.[Methods]Male golden hamsters were randomly and evenly divided into different groups and given different high-fat diets for 14 consecutive days by gavage to establish hyperlipidemia models.From the 15th d on,the hamsters in the model groups were given ATO at a dose of 5 mg/kg,one a day,for 9 consecutive days.Blood was sampled from the orbital veins of the hamsters for the determination of biochemical indicators.Liver tissues of the hamsters were sampled,paraffin-embedded,sliced,stained by HE(hematoxylin-eosin)method and observed under an optical microscope.[Results]Compared with standard diet group,the body weight increased significantly(P<0.05),the serum TC,TG and LDL-C levels increased significantly(P<0.05),the serum HDL-C level declined significantly(P<0.05),and the ALT and AST levels increased significantly(P<0.05)in the high-fat diet groups.This trend was more obvious in the high-fat II group than the high-fat I group.After ATO intervention,the HDL-C,TBIL and TBA levels increased significantly(P<0.05),and the liver ALT and AST levels further increased(P<0.05)in the model groups.This trend was more obvious in the model II group than the model I group.The morphological inspection shows that the fat deposition in the liver tissues was severe;the hepatocytes in the model groups were obviously damaged;the liver injury in the hamsters fed high-fat diet containing 0.2%cholesterol and intervened with ATO was relatively mild but severer than the high-fat diet groups.[Conclusions]Hamster models of hyperlipidemia were successfully established in this study.High-fat diet could cause liver injury.While lowering blood lipid level,ATO aggravated liver injury.Among the high-fat diets with different proportions of cholesterol,the diet containing 0.2%cholesterol had little effect on ATO-induced liver injury.