Effect of dietary fat level on the calcium content of heart and kidney in DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice.

High-fat and low-fat diets were fed for 24 weeks to two strains of mice differing in susceptibility to the development of dystrophic cardiac calcinosis (DCC). The severity of DCC was assessed by histological examination and measurement of heart calcium concentrations. Plasma and renal tissue mineral levels were also measured. On the basis of macroscopic examination, feeding the high-fat diet did not influence the severity of DCC in the susceptible DBA/2 mice. Heart calcium concentrations were reduced in both strains; in DBA/2 mice more than in DCC-resistant C57BL/6 mice. Cardiac concentrations of magnesium and phosphorus were similar in the two strains of mice and unaffected by the amount of dietary fat. Kidney calcium concentrations were higher in the DBA/2 than in the C57BL/6 mice and the high-fat diet also reduced kidney calcium concentrations in the DBA/2 mice. The amount of dietary fat, at least during growth and maintenance, did not appear to affect the development of DCC in DBA/2 mice.