Influence of diet on vascular lesions in autoimmune-prone B/W mice.

Autoimmune-prone B/W mice, which are known to develop severe glomerulonephritis and vasculitis, also are found to develop arteritis and proliferative and fatty-proliferative lesions of the aorta and its branches as well as renal inflammatory lesions. High intake of saturated fat in the diet enhances the development of these atherosclerotic and autoimmune lesions significantly in female mice, whereas restriction of dietary calories and fat inhibits their development. Ad lib feeding of laboratory chow, high in fiber and low in fat, does not foster development of vascular lesions but does permit the development of autoimmune renal disease.