Re: Can animals besides mice be used as subjects in chloresterol experiments?

Scientists use many kinds of model systems to study cholesterol and its 
negative 
effects on the arteries of the heart, i.e. atherosclerosis.  The most 
common 
organisms studied have been rodents (mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, 
and 
rabbits), birds (chickens, quails, and pigeons), dogs, cats, pigs, and 
monkeys 
(nonhuman primates).  The simpler experiments done by scientists 
involved 
feeding these animals high cholesterol/fat diets (so-called arthrogenic 
diets).  
Changes in weight, total plasma cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein 
(HDL) cholesterol were taken as indicators of the effect of diet or heredity 
(genes) in 
developing heart disease.

It shows very creative thinking, that you have proposed using insects, 
earthworms 
or zooplankton to study atherosclerosis.  Unfortunately, I could find no 
references in 
which these organisms were used to study atherosclerosis.  Studies 
which 
mentioned these organisms used them primarily as dietary supplements 
or 
indicators of pollution.  This leads me to believe that insects, worms, and 
zooplankton have not been developed as models systems for 
atherosclerosis.   
That does not mean that they could never be used to study this process.  
The 
challenge would be determining what you could measure that would be a 
fair/
accurate indicator of cholesterol effects on the arteries of the heart.

In my reading, I came across an article which discussed the effects of 
ginger on 
cholesterol (see http://
www.healthyliving.co.nz/downloads/
ginger_winter_mag_2002.pdf.).  Can you think of a project with hamsters 
or chicks 
that would address whether ginger, as a food supplement, has any effect 
on 
cholesterol?  Remember that obesity (being overweight) has a high 
correlation with 
heart disease.

Good luck with your project!