The effect of calcium intake on bone composition and bone resorption in the young growing rat

A low Ca intake by both rats and man increases bone resorption, decreases bone mass and increases the risk of osteoporosis. The skeletal effect of high Ca intakes is less clear, particularly during periods of bone mineral accrual. Twenty-four female 5-week-old rats, Wistar strain, were randomized by weight into three groups of eight rats each and fed ad libitum a semi-purified diet containing 2 (Ca-restricted), 5 (normal) or 20 (Ca-supplemented) g Ca/kg for 3 weeks. When compared with the normal Ca diet, urinary Ca excretion was unaffected by the dietary restriction of Ca for 3 weeks, but was greater (P<0.001) in Ca-supplemented rats. Urinary pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) levels were significantly greater during weeks 2 (Pyr P<0.05, Dpyr P<0.001) and 3 (Pyr P<0.01, Dpyr, P<0.001) of dietary Ca restriction, but were unaffected by Ca supplementation. Femoral dry weight and the concentration of Mg and P in femora were unaffected by dietary Ca concentration. Femoral Ca concentration was reduced (P<0.05) in the Ca-restricted group compared with the other two groups. In conclusion, these results suggest that increasing dietary Ca intake, well above the recommended level, had no effect on bone mineral composition or bone resorption (as assessed with urinary pyridinium crosslinks) in young growing female rats. In addition, these results confirm the findings of previous studies which have shown that bone Ca content in young growing rats was reduced by dietary Ca restriction and that this reduction results, at least in part, from an increased rate of bone resorption.