Atherosclerosis is a complex chronic disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids within arterial walls that eventually go on to form plaques, which can cause narrowing, hardening, and/or complete blockage of arteries. One well known risk factor in humans is hypercholesterolemia and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and other important contributors to this disease include inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Dies with high fat and cholesterol have been linked to elevations in circulating cholesterol levels. The use of high fat and cholesterol diets for promoting atherosclerosis in animal models has been a valuable tool for both gaining more understanding of this disease and testing therapies that can potentially reverse it. The presence of cholic acid aids cholesterol and fat absorption, and also suppresses conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. It reduces removal cholesterol and increases cholesterol levels which allows atherosclerosis induction to occur in susceptible mouse stains.
