FIGURE 1.

Experimental diets induced either hypercholesterolemia or elevated blood glucose levels, as intended. A, Monthly lipid profiles revealed hypercholesterolemia induced by the diet enriched with 2% cholesterol (and 0.12 ppm copper in their purified [RO] drinking water). B, Elevated blood glucose levels (as associated with Type 2 diabetes) was achieved in rabbits on a diet enriched with 30% fructose and 10% saturated fat (as coconut oil), that is, blood glucose level (BGL) >126 mg/dL. C, Diet significantly affected triglyceride levels due to an increase in the rabbits on the fat/fructose diet. D, A glucose tolerance test was done at either 21 or 24 weeks after the start of the diets (cohorts 1 and 2, respectively). Post hoc analysis of variance for each timepoint after the glucose injection revealed that rabbits on the fat/fructose diet exhibited impaired glucose tolerance relative to the other groups at 90 and 120 minutes after the glucose injection