The effects of chronic vitamin A excess on bone remodeling in aged rats

This study was conducted to assess the effects of long-term ingestion of moderate excesses of vitamin A on trabecular bone remodeling in the fifth lumbar vertebral body of aged rats. Eighteen-month-old rats were fed diets with vitamin A content equal to the daily requirement (DR), 2-fold, and 5-fold the DR along with calcium content of either the DR or 0.3-fold the DR, for 14 months each. As expected, serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were higher in the reduced than in the normal calcium intake groups (65.1 +/- 2.4 SEM vs 47.8 +/- 2.1 pg/ml, P less than 0.001). Calcium balance was more positive at the higher than the lower calcium intake (5.7 vs 0.9 mg, P less than 0.001) but was unaffected by vitamin A intake. Histomorphometric analysis of the fifth lumbar vertebral body revealed that the 2-fold but not the 5-fold excess in vitamin A intake resulted in a 15% increase in percentage of trabecular bone (P less than 0.02). The low calcium diet depressed bone growth (total bone tissue) but did not affect percentage of trabecular bone. Several effects of the vitamin A excess and low calcium diet were noted along the trabecular surface including increased mineral apposition rate and resorption surfaces and decreased formation surfaces. The net effect of vitamin A on trabecular bone of the rat varies as intake begins to exceed the DR. At a 2-fold excess, a modest favorable effect on percentage of trabecular bone was observed.