Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Regional patterns of bone loss and altered bone remodeling in response to calcium deprivation in laboratory rabbits

  • Laboratory Investigations
  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

This study explores the effects of a calcium-deficient diet on patterns of bone remodeling, and examines regional differences in the amount of bone lost. Skeletally mature female rabbits (n=6) were fed a calcium-deficient diet (0.10% Ca2+ and 0.50% P) for 14 weeks. A separate group of rabbits (n=4) were fed a maintenance diet (1.2% Ca2+ and 0.45% P). Bone mineral content, serum calcium, and serum phosphorus were measured each week during the experimental period. Following sacrifice, the L3 vetebra, femoral head, proximal tibial metaphysis, and tibial midshaft were analyzed histomorphometrically. Rabbits had 20% less vertebral bone after only 14 weeks of a calcium-deficient diet. As in human postmenopausal osteoporosis, bone loss in calcium-deficient rabbits occurs in the trabecular bone of the lumbar spine before that in the trabecular bone of the lower extremity. Calcium-deficient diets alone do not lead to increased osteoid volume or thickness. Because bone loss is relatively rapid and because the pattern of loss is similar in some respects to that found in humans, adult rabbits may provide an attractive model of calcium deficiency osteoporosis in a skeletally mature mammal in which remodeling is predominant over modeling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Office of Medical Applications of Research (1984) Osteoporosis. NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement. JAMA 252:799–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Spencer H, Kramer L, Lesniak M, De Bartolo M, Norris C, Osis D (1984) Calcium requirements in humans. Report of original data and a review. Clin Orthop Rel Res 184:270–280

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Spencer H, Kramer L (1986) NIH Consensus Conference: Osteoporosis. Factors contributing to osteoporosis. J Nutr 116:316–319

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cook SD, Skinner HB, Haddad RJ (1983) A quantitative histologic study of osteoporosis produced by nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in dogs. Clin Orthop Rel Res 175:105–120

    Google Scholar 

  5. Krook L, Lutwak L, Henrikson PA, Kallfelz F, Hirsch C, Romanus B, Belanger LF, Marier JR, Sheffy BE (1971) Reversibility of nutritional osteoporosis: physicochemical data on bones from an experimental study in dogs. J Nutr 101:233–246

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sissons HA, Kelman GJ, Marotti G (1985) Bone resorption in calcium-deficient rats. Bone 6:345–347

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lozupone E, Favia A (1988) Distribution of resorption processes in the compacta and spongiosa of bones from lactating rats fed a low-calcium diet. Bone 9:215–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jowsey J, Raisz LG (1968) Experimental osteoporosis and parathyroid activity. Endocrinology 82:384–396

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Buchanan JR, Cauffman SW, Greer RB (1984) Relation of calcium-regulating hormones to the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In: Christiansen C, Arnaud CD, Nordin BEC (eds) Osteoporosis. Proc Copenhagen Intl Symp on Osteoporosis. Glostrup Hospital, Copenhagen, pp 275–280

    Google Scholar 

  10. Heaney RP (1983) Determinants of age-related bone loss. In: Frame B, Potts JT Jr (eds) Clinical disorders of bone and mineral metabolism. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp 333–336

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heaney RP (1985) The role of calcium in osteoporosis. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) (suppl 31): S21-S26

    Google Scholar 

  12. Avioli LV (1984) Calcium and osteoporosis. Ann Rev Nutr 4:471–491

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Heaney RP (1982) Nutritional factros and estrogen in agerelated bone loss. Clin Invest Med 5:147–155

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ireland P, Fordtran JS (1973) Effect of dietary clacium and age on jejunal calcium absorption in humans studied by intestinal perfusion. J Clin Invest 52:2672–2681

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Heaney RP, Recker RR, Saville PD, (1977) Menopausal changes in calcium balance performance. J Lab Clin Med 92:953–963

    Google Scholar 

  16. Spencer H, Menczel J, Lewin I, Samachson J (1964) Absorption of calcium in osteoporosis. Am J Med 37:223–234

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Avioli LV, McDonald JE, Lee SW (1965) Influence of age in the intestinal absorption of47Ca in women and its relation to47Ca absorption in postmenopausal osteoporosis. J Clin Invest 44:1960–1967

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bullamore JR, Gallagher JC, Wilkinson R, Nordin BEC, Marshall DH (1970) Effect of age on calcium absorption. Lancet 2:535–537

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Orwoll ES, Meier DE (1986) Alterations in calcium, Vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone physiology in normal men with aging: relationship to the development of senile osteopenia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 63:1262–1269

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lane JM, Vigorita VJ (1984) Osteoporosis. Orthop Clin N Am 15:711–727

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Heaney RP (1987) Pathophysiology of osteoporosis: implications for treatment. Texas Med 70:37–45

    Google Scholar 

  22. Horsman A, Nordin BEC, Gallagher JC, Kirby PA, Milner RM, Simpson M (1977) Observations of sequential changes in bone mass in postmenopausal women: a controlled trial of oestrogen and calcium therapy. Calcif Tissue Res (suppl 22):217–224

    Google Scholar 

  23. Horsman A, Gallagher JC, Simpson M, Nordin BEC (1977) Prospective trial of oestrogen and calcium in postmenopausal women. Br Med J 2:789–792

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ettinger B, Genant HK, Cann C (1987) Postmenopausal bone loss is prevented by treatment with low-dosage estrogen with calcium. Ann Intern Med 106:40–45

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kolata G (1986) How important is dietary calcium in preventing osteoporosis? Science 233:519–520

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hahn B (1988) Osteoporosis: diagnosis and management. Bull Rheum Dis 38:1–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Parfitt AM (1983) Dietary risk factors for age-related bone loss and fractures. Lancet 2:1181–1185

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Nordin BEC, Horsman A, Marshall DH, Simpson M, Waterhouse GM (1979) Calcium requirement and calcium therapy. Clin Orthop Rel Res 140:216–239

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Holtrop ME, Cox KA, Carnes DL, Holick MF (1986) Effects of serum calcium and phosphorus on skeletal mineralization in vitamin D-deficient rats. Am J Physiol 251:E234-E240

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Wong KM, Singer L, Ophaug RH (1980) Metabolic aspects of bone resorption in calcium-deficient lactating rats. Calcif Tissue Int 32:213–219

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Russell JE, Morimoto S, Birge SJ, Fausto A, Avioli LV (1986) Effects of age and estrogen on calcium absorption in the rat. J Bone Miner Res 1:185–189

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Chapin RE, Smith SE (1967) Calcium requirement of growing rabbits. J Animal Sci 26:67–71

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Currey JD, Hughes SM (1973) The effects of pregnancy and lactation on some mechanical properties of the femora of the rat. Calcif Tissue Res 11:112–123

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. De Winter FR, Stendijk R (1975) The effect of a low-calcium diet in lactating rats. Observations on the rapid development and repair of osteoporosis. Calcif Tissue Res 17:303–316

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Dickson GR (ed) (1984) Methods of calcified tissue preparation. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  36. Frost HM (1983) Bone histomorphometry: analysis of trabecular dynamics. In: Recker R (ed) Bone histomorphometry: techniques and interpretation. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp 109–131

    Google Scholar 

  37. Parfitt AM, Drezner MK, Glorieux FH, Kanis JA, Malluche H, Meunier PJ, Ott SM, Recker RR (1987) Bone histomorphometry: standardization of nomenclature, symbols, and units. J Bone Min Res 2:595–610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Martin RB (1984) Porosity and specific surface of bone. CRC Crit Rev Biomed Eng 10:179–222

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Rasmussen P (1977) Calcium deficiency, pregnancy and lactation in rats. Some effects on blood chemistry and the skeleton. Calcif Tissue Res 23:87–94

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Harkness JE, Wagner JE (1983) The biology and medicine of rabbits and rodents. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  41. Bourdeau JE, Hesselton RAM (1988) Serum calcium concentrations in wild rabbits. Min Electr Metab 14:253–256

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Goad DL, Pecquet ME, Warren HB (1989) Total serum calcium concentrations in rabbits. J Am Vet Med Assoc 194:1520–1521

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Riggs BL (1981) A disease of impaired homeostatic regulation? Min Elect Metab 5:265–272

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Riggs BL, Melton LJ III (1986) Involutional osteoporosis. New Engl J Med 314:1676–1686

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Mazess RB (1982) On aging bone loss. Clin Orthop Rel Res 165:239–252

    Google Scholar 

  46. Saville PD, Krook L (1969) Gravimetric and isotopic studies in nutritional hyperparathyroidism in beagles. Clin Orthop Rel Res 42:15–24

    Google Scholar 

  47. Henrikson P-A, Lutwak L, Krook L, Skogerboe R, Kallfelz F, Belanger LF, Marier JR, Sheffy BE, Romanus B, Hirsch C (1970) Fluoride and nutritional osteoporosis. Physiochemical data on bones from an experimental study in dogs J Nutr 100:631–642

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Parfitt AM, Mathews CHE, Villanueva AR, Kleerekoper M, Frame B, Rao DS (1983) Relationships between surface, volume and thickness of iliac trabecular bone in aging and osteoporosis. J Clin Invest 72:1396–1409

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Parfitt AM (1984) Age-related structural changes in trabecular and cortical bone: cellular mechanisms and biomechanical consequences. Calcif Tissue Int 36:S123-S128

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Mosekilde L (1988) Age-related changes in vertebral trabecular bone architecture—assessed by a new method. Bone 9:247–250

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopedic Research Laboratory, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, 26506, Morgantown, WV, USA

    D. D. Wu, R. D. Boyd & David B. Burr

  2. Department of Anatomy, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, 26506, Morgantown, WV, USA

    T. J. Fix & David B. Burr

Authors
  1. D. D. Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. D. Boyd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. J. Fix
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David B. Burr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, D.D., Boyd, R.D., Fix, T.J. et al. Regional patterns of bone loss and altered bone remodeling in response to calcium deprivation in laboratory rabbits. Calcif Tissue Int 47, 18–23 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555861

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555861

Key Words

Search

Navigation