Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 25, 1629-1634, Copyright © 1984 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Psychosocial and reproductive influences on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis in nonhuman primates
TB Clarkson, MR Adams, JR Kaplan and DR Koritnik
Until recently, research in experimental atherosclerosis focused primarily
on nutritional influences on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and
atherosclerosis. We review here the results of recent studies of
independent and interactive influences of psychosocial and reproductive
influences on atherosclerosis in nonhuman primates. These studies have
produced evidence that, as in human beings, individuals with certain
personality characteristics who are frequently faced with stressful or
challenging situations are at increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Preliminary evidence suggests that this relationship may be mediated, in
part, by heightened sympathetic arousal, i.e., cardiovascular
hyperresponsiveness, to the environmental challenge. Also, as in human
beings, evidence has been produced that certain negative behavioral and
psychosocial variables can have a significant independent influence on
plasma lipids. As regards reproductive influences, the cynomolgus macaque
seems to share with premenopausal white women a relative protection against
coronary artery atherosclerosis. This "female protection" against
diet-induced atherosclerosis is abolished by ovariectomy, which also
results in increased total plasma and low density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol concentrations. Subordinate social status also seems to abolish
female protection in some individuals. Preliminary evidence suggests that
subordinate females most liable to this loss of protection are those with
apparent stress-induced chronic ovarian endocrine dysfunction, which, in
turn, is associated with increased plasma LDL cholesterol and decreased
plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations.