The prophylatic and therapeutic
effects of Chromium-enriched yeast(CEY)on early atherosclerosis were observed in rats.In
order to obtain high-fat modelTianjin Medical Universityrats,these rats were fed on a high-fat
diet for 80 days which methylthiouracil was addedto in a weight ratio of 1 :1000 during initial 20
days of the feeding.Nine high-fat modelrats fed on the high-fat diet and with Chromium-enriched
yeast(0.45g/kg/d)served asthe CEY-prevented group.The CEY-treated group consisted of 9
high-fat model rats,which were fed on a nomal diet instead of the high-fat diet and were treated
withChromium-enriched yeast (0.25g/kg/d)for 40 days.Pathological study showed that(1)under
transmission electron-microscope, a large number of vacuoles were seen in theaortic
endothelial cells from the high-fat model rats and typical foamy cells under theendothelium,
while in the CEY-prevented group the vacuole was small in number; afterthe model rats were
fed on a normal diet for 40 days ,nontypical foamy cells and thevacuoles still existed, while in
the aortic endothelium form the model rats of the CEY-treated group the nontypical foamy cells
were still seen but the vacules disappeared;and(2 ) under scanning electron microscope
,cellular swelling atrophy ,disorderlyarrangement and plaques formation were seen in the
aortic endothelial cells from themodel rats but in the CEY-prevented group the plaques
formation was not found andcellular arrangement were in order; In the CEY-treated group the
arrangement andappearance of the endothelial cells were restored to normal.These results
suggest thatthe Chromium-enriched yeast possesses obvious prophylatic and therapeutic
effects onearly atherosclerosis in tats.