Hyperlipidemia: Methods of Induction and Possible Treatments

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are very serious and can lead to death. The main cause of these diseases is atherosclerosis, which results from the deposition of lipids in the walls of blood vessels. Hyperlipidemia (HL) means an elevation of lipid levels (triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)) with a reduction in high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood. Prevention and treatment of HL reflect directly on atherosclerosis and CVD. Many studies have been done to prevent and treat HL, whether by regulating the diet or by using therapies, statins, fibrates, niacin derivatives, bile acid sequestrants, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors are considered the most important treatments used to control HL, and many studies are still being done to discover and evaluate more therapies with fewer side effects for treatment of such a case. For that purpose, induction of HL in lab animals is a must to simulate the naturally ocuuring CVD. Most of these studies depend on a high-fat diet for induction. The objective of the current review is to provide updated and characterized facts on the methods of HL induction and possible treatments. At the end of this review, we conclude that induction of an experimental hyperlipidemic model for the management of HL is still a goal for evaluating hyperlipidemic drugs. Due to the many problems that result from diet-induced HL, either through its harmful effect on the heart or time consumption, we had to find a new method for induction of HL by using drugs to induce HL within a few days with less harmful effects on the vessels and heart