Abstract

Effect of high cholesterol diet on blood platelet aggregation, and the influence of skim milk on cholesterol induced platelet hyperaggregability were studied in rabbits. The level of aggregated platelets (AP) increased to 19900/mm3 and that of plasma cholesterol to 1605mg/dl, while platelet aggregate ratio (PAR) decreased to 0.32 in rabbits fed high cholesterol diet (0.5% cholesterol) for 12 wk. The levels of AP (12500/mm3) and plasma cholesterol (1196mg/dl) were lower, and the PAR (0.46) was higher in rabbits which received the cholesterol diet supplemented with 16 per cent skim milk powder. In the second experiment, hypercholesterolaemia and platelet aggregation were induced in rabbits by high cholesterol diet given for 6 wk. The animals then received cholesterol-free diets for 8 wk, one group receiving the diet supplemented with 16 per cent skim milk powder and the other without milk served as the control group. The mean PAR in the milk powder supplemented group was restored to normal at 6 wk, while in the control group the level continued to be lower even up to 8 wk. The results thus demonstrate that the milk can prevent the process of cholesterol induced platelet aggregation.