Effects of four variations of a surfactant polymer on experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits

Abstract

Four variations in molecular structure of the surfactant polyoxyethylene alkyl phenol formaldehyde polymer were synthesized, purified and tested for their ability to modify the severity of aortic atherosclerosis induced in rabbits by feeding cholesterol and trans isomerized olive oil for 84 days in comparison with a placebo-treated control group. The four molecular variations studied were the 20 and 30 oxyethylated n-decyl phenol formaldehyde polymers and the 20 and 30 t-octyl phenol formaldehyde polymers. After 84 days on the cholesterol-rich diet, all the serum lipid fractions of the control group and of the surfactant-treated groups were markedly elevated. In comparison with the control group, the severity of aortic atherosclerosis was much less in the groups treated with the oxyethylated t-octyl surfactants. In contrast, there was no significant reduction in the severity of atherosclerosis in the group treated with the 30-oxyethylated n-decyl surfactant. The reduction in severity of atherosclerosis in the group treated with the 20-oxyethylated n-decyl surfactant was relatively slight.