Vasculopathic and cardiomyopathic changes induced by low-protein high-carbohydrate tapioca based diet in bonnet monkey. Vasculopathic and cardiomyopathic changes in induced malnutrition.

Mucoid vasculopathy is an entity characterized by a generalized mucopolysaccharidosis of blood vessels. It has been observed in patients from our Institute. Bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) were given low-protein normal-carbohydrate and low-protein high-carbohydrate tapioca based diets for experimental periods of 3 or 5 months. The latter diet is similar to that consumed by people from this part of India (Kerala) where mucoid vasculopathy is observed. Vascular lesions were seen in all test animals as a generalized mucopolysaccharidosis and as hyperplastic changes in intimal and medial smooth muscle cells. In 6/31 animals gross cardiac lesions were found. They consisted of biventricular hypertrophy and atrophy owning to myopathic changes and endocardial thickening. The cardiovascular lesions were enhanced in animals that received low-protein high-carbohydrate diet for a longer period. Our experiments established an etiologic role for diet, especially protein deficiency, in the induction of both vascular and cardiac changes.