Intestinal Lipodystrophy, Serum Cholesterol Levels and Inositol Deficiency in Gerbils.
High fat diets containing saturated fats produce hypercholesterolemia in male gerbils. In female gerbils, this effect is offset by the development of a severe intestinal lipodystrophy, which can be prevented by feeding inositol. Inositol biosynthesis in the testis protects the male from the intestinal syndrome. The chain length of the fatty acid modifies the lipid accumulation in the gut.