Diet-induced arteriopathies in the rabbit aorta and oral vasculature.

Advanced atherosclerosis in the form of fibro-fatty intimal plaques has been produced in the rabbit aorta and oral vasculature (labial, lingual, gingival, palatal, periodontal and alveolar arteries) by dietary means. The animals were fed a hypercholesteremic diet and a normocholesteremic diet on alternate months for two years. In the aorta and in many of the oral vessels, the formation of the intimal atheromas was paralleled by a degeneration of the tunica media. The lingual arteries rivaled the aorta and coronary arteries in vulnerability to the diet-induced arteriopathies.