EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT CORONARY ARTERIES OF MALE RABBITS FED WITH HIGH-CHOLESTEROL DIET

  Abstract INTRODUCTION: Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in western countries. The beneficial effect of ascorbic acid on various organs has been reported. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of ascorbic acid on the right and left coronary arteries of male rabbits fed with high-cholesterol diet. methods: Twenty white male rabbits (mean weight: ۹۵۰ g) were weighed and randomly divided into two groups. For ۴۰ days, group ۱ (n=۱۰) was given a high-cholesterol (۱%) diet, group ۲ (n=۱۰) was fed with a high-cholesterol diet and ascorbic acid (۱۰۰ mg/kg). Then both of the groups were weighed and the animals were sacrificed. The right and left coronary arteries were dissected and then fixation, tissue processing, histological sectioning and H & E staining were carried out and sections were studied by light microscopy. The results were analyzed by using the Mann Whitney test. results: Group ۲ which received ascorbic acid had no fatty streaks in their coronary arteries. Significant difference in mean weight was observed before and after the diet in both groups (P<۰.۰۵). CONCLUSIONS: Histopathological study of the coronary arteries showed that the rabbits which received ascorbic acid diet did not develop fatty streaks. Thus ascorbic acid exerts an apparently inhibitory effect on fatty streak formation and may slow down or prevent atherosclerosis by countering the side effects of a high-fat meal.     Keywords: Ascorbic acid, cholesterol, coronary arteries.