title: Influence of differences in the hardness and calcium content of diets on the growth of craniofacial bone in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of a soft diet and a low-calcium diet on the craniofacial growth and bone architectures of the maxilla and mandible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male rats (n  =  20, 3 weeks old) were divided into four groups. Ten rats were given a normal-calcium diet, and the other rats were given a low-calcium diet. Each group was then divided into two subgroups, which were fed a hard or a soft diet. After 4 weeks, craniofacial growth and architecture in maxillary and mandibular bone were analyzed using cephalometry, micro-computed tomography, and histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The low-calcium diet had no effect on serum calcium levels. The low-calcium diet had the greatest effect on craniofacial bone growth, while the soft diet affected the growth of several bone sites that are attached to the masseter muscle. A low-calcium diet resulted in the deterioration of the connectivity of the trabeculae in the furcation region of the maxillary and mandibular first molar, while a soft diet resulted in the diffuse disappearance of trabeculae in the central part of the furcation regions. In the midpalatal suture, a low-calcium diet resulted in inhibition of cartilaginous ossification, although the midpalatal suture had a normal cartilaginous structure. A soft diet resulted in narrower cartilage cell layers in the midpalatal suture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that a low-calcium diet and a soft diet resulted in a deterioration of bone structures in both the maxilla and in the mandible; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects differed between diets.
authors: a   Postgraduate student, Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors: Shota
authors: S
authors: Goto
authors: b   Assistant Professor, Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Fujita
authors: a   Postgraduate student, Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors: Maika
authors: M
authors: Hotta
authors: a   Postgraduate student, Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Sugiyama
authors: c   Professor, Division of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors: Kenshi
authors: K
authors: Maki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002508:Cephalometry; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods*; D006244:Hardness; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: Alveolar bone; Low-calcium diet; Micro-CT; Midpalatal suture; Soft diet
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