Atherosclerosis and atherosensitivity in two southwest Algerian desert rodents, Psammomys obesus and Gerbillus gerbillus, and in Rattus norvegicus

Figures & data

Table 1 Natural diet (ND) and hypercaloric diet (HCD)

ND	Composition (%)	HCD	Composition (%)
Water	80.79	Water	9.0
Minerals	6.86	Minerals	7.1
Fats	0.40	Fats	7.5
Proteins	3.53	Proteins	25
Carbohydrates	8.42*	Total sugars	47.43**
Total sugars	0.18	Cellulose	4.0
Hemicellulose	2.62
Cellulose	2.23
Lignine	1.12
Undetermined	2.27

Notes:

* The carbohydrates (total sugars, lignine, cellulose, hemicelluloses, and undetermined quantities) constitute 8.42% of the total composition;

** rate of useful carbohydrate used = 100 − rate of: crude protein + fat + ash + cellulose + humidity.

Figure 1 Interspecies differences of aortic enzymes of Psammomys, Gerbillus gerbillus, and Wistar rats.

Abbreviations: P, Psammomys; G, Gerbillus; R, Wistar rats.

Table 2 Histochemical and histoenzymologic parameters of abdominal and thoracic aortas, and femoral and caudal arteries of Psammomys obesus, Gerbilllus gerbillus, and Wistar rats

Parameters	Aortas						Arteries
	Thoracic			Abdominal			Caudal	Femoral
	P(40)	G(25)	R(10)	P(40)	G(25)	R(10)	P(40)	G(25)	R(10)
Oxydoreductases
Glucose G6-PDH	2.5	1.5	2	2.5	1.5	2	2.5	2.5	2.5
α-Glycerol 3-PDH	3.5	3.5	0.5	3	2.5	1	3	2	1.5
Lactate DH	3	3	2.5	3	3	2.5	3.5	3	3
β-H Butyrate DH	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.5	1.5	1.5
Isocitrate DH	2.5	2	1.5	2.5	2.5	1.5	3	3	3
Succinate DH	3	2.5	2	3	3	1.5	3.5	3.5	3
Glutamate DH	2.5	2.5	2	3	3	2.5	3.5	3.5	3
NADPH2 DH	3	2.5	2	3	2.5	2	3	3	3
NADH DH	3	2.5	2	3	3	2.5	3	3	3
Monoamine oxidase	2	2	1	2	2	1	2	2	2
Transferase
UDPG-synthetase	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	1	1	1
Phosphorylase	1.5	1	1	1.5	1	1	1.5	1	1
Hydrolases
Alkaline phosphatase V.V	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	0	3
5′ nucleotidase	0.5	0.5	1.5	0.5	0.5	1.5	0.5	0.5	1.5
ATPase Ca++	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	3	3	3
Indoxylesterase	0.5	1	1.5	0	1	1.5	0	0	0.5
Naphtylesterase	1	1.5	2	0.5	1.5	2	0	0.5	0.5
Cholinesterase	0.5	1.5	2	1	1.5	2	0	0	0
Acid phosphatase	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
LA peptidase	1.5	1.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Arylsulfatase	4	4	4	4	4	4	2	2	2
β-glucoronidase	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	0
Macromolecules
PAS+ substances	2	2	2	2	2	2	1.5	1.5	1.5
Glycogen	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Glycosaminoglycans	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
Neutral lipids	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fatty acids	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
RNA	1	1	1	1	1	1	1.5	1.5	1.5

Notes: The number of animals studied is given in brackets. The numbers given in the table indicate the average of the “index of positivity” of the reaction, resulting in several observations.

Abbreviations: P, Psammomys obesus; G, Gerbillus gerbillus; R, Wistar rat; V.V, Vasa vasorum.

Figure 2 Comparison of aortic enzymes of Psammomys, healthy (N) and diabetic (D).