Immune Response to Native Lipoproteins Induces Visceral Obesity and Aortic Wall Injury in Rats: The Role of Testosterone.

Objectives: The underlying mechanism of atherosclerosis and visceral obesity remains unknown.The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that atherosclerosis and visceral obesity are caused by an immune response to native plasma lipoproteins, and the atherogenic and adipogenic effects of the antibodies to native lipoproteins stem from the androgen deficiency that is created.

Methods: Wistar rats were immunized with native human (nh) low-density (LDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL).