Consumption of lyophilized bison improves atherosclerotic risk factors greater than lyophilized beef in hamsters

The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of various sources of animal protein on blood cholesterol levels and early atherosclerosis. Fifty-four Golden Syrian hamsters, approximately 10 weeks old, were fed a semipurified, hypercholesterolemic diet for 10 weeks containing 22% by weight bison, beef, or casein. The hamsters fed the bison and casein diets had similar plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, the beef diet produced significantly lower plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared with the bison diet and significantly higher plasma triglyceride levels compared with the casein diet. In addition, hamsters fed the beef diet had significantly higher plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels compared with the bison and casein diets. Finally, only the hamsters fed the beef diet had significantly higher aortic total cholesterol and cholesterol ester accumulation compared with the casein diet. In conclusion, the diet containing lyophilized ground beef resulted in negative changes in blood atherosclerosis risk factors and a greater increase in early atherosclerosis than did the bison diet compared with casein.