Bone histomorphometric analysis for the cause of osteopenia in vitamin C-deficient rat (ODS rat)

A particular strain of rat, the osteogenic disorder rat (ODS rat), was established in 1973. Phenotypic expression of od/od in ODS rat develops signs characteristics of a vitamin C-deficient animal, with bleeding tendencies and limb fractures. We investigated the bone histomorphometry to clarify the pathogenesis of osteopathy found in ODS rat. Bone histomorphometry revealed that static parameters reflecting bone formation were found to be remarkably decreased in od/od rats. These observations were more prominent in the metaphysis of distal femurs of od/od rats than those in the tail vertebrae. Parameters reflecting bone resorption in od/od rats were reduced in the distal femoral metaphysis, but were similar to those of controls in the tail vertebrae. These parameters were restored to control levels after ascorbic acid supplementation to pair-fed od/od rats. The mineral appositional rate in od/od rats was not significantly different from that in controls. Although body weight gain in pair-fed controls was significantly reduced compared to those fed ad libitum, histomorphometric parameters, on the contrary, were unaltered between these groups. Our present study provides evidence that the cause of osteopenia found in od/od rat is attributable to an imbalance between the total amounts of resorption and formation, and the pathogenesis of osteopathy could be due to ascorbic acid deficiency itself rather than malnutrition.