Abstract:Aim To observe the effects of diabetogenic (high fat high sucrose) diet on atherogenesis in New Zealand white rabbits. Methods Two groups of New Zealand white rabbits received regular rabbit chow, or high fat high sucrose diet for 24 weeks. The levels of plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and glucose were investigated, the areas of fatty streak of the aortae were measured after staining with Sodan IV, and the aortic, coronary specimens were observed with light and electron microscopies. Results The plasma glucose, and triglycerides, were significantly increased by high fat high sucrose feeding (glucose: 6.36±0.92 mmol/L vs 1.76±0.28 mmol/L, treated vs control,P<0.01; triglycerides: 1.75±0.56 vs 0.41±0.05 mmol/L, treated vs control,P<0.0001). At the end of 24 weeks, the early characteristics of atherosclerosis were present in the animals' vascular specimens (lesion areas were 8.58%±1.35% vs 0.08%±0.06%,treated vs control,P<0.001). Conclusion High fat high sucrose feeding can induce hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis in New Zealand White rabbits, and this could be a potential animal model for studying the mechanisms of diabetes-accelerated a1therosclerosis. This study raised a question:What is the mechanism by which high fat high sucrose feeding induced atherosclerosis?The related hypothesis was given in this article.