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Bone mineral content reflects total body calcium in neonatal miniature piglets
S A Abrams1, R J Schanler, H P Sheng
1USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, Texas 77030.
Insights
Bone mineral content (BMC) accurately assesses total body calcium (TBC) in piglets. This method is reliable for evaluating infant mineral status, showing a strong correlation with total body calcium.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Assessing mineral status in neonates is crucial for growth and development.
- Accurate methods for measuring bone mineral content (BMC) and total body calcium (TBC) are essential in pediatric research.
- Existing methods may have limitations in precision or applicability to infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of single photon absorptiometry for measuring bone mineral content (BMC) in neonatal piglets.
- To determine the correlation between BMC and total body calcium (TBC) measured by neutron activation analysis.
- To assess the utility of BMC as a predictor of mineral status in early life.
Main Methods:
- 18 neonatal miniature piglets were studied from day 6 to 19 post-weaning.
- Diets varied in calcium and phosphorus concentrations (100%, 60%, 20% of recommended levels).
- Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured using single photon absorptiometry; total body calcium (TBC) by neutron activation analysis.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in weight gain or crown-rump length were observed between dietary groups.
- Bone mineral content (BMC) showed strong, significant correlations with total body calcium (TBC) at all measurement points (r=0.77-0.93, p<0.001).
- BMC also correlated highly with tibial bone ash weight and calcium content (r=0.87-0.90).
Conclusions:
- Bone mineral content (BMC) measured by single photon absorptiometry is a highly accurate and reliable indicator of total body calcium (TBC) in neonatal piglets.
- BMC measurements provide a more accurate assessment of mineral status than anthropometric parameters or serum indices.
- The findings suggest BMC is a valuable tool for assessing mineral status in infants, comparable to ranges observed in the first year of life.
Abstract:
We measured bone mineral content (BMC) in 18 neonatal miniature piglets by single photon absorptiometry, total body calcium (TBC) by total body neutron activation analysis, growth, and serum indices of mineral status (calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase activity). Measurements were begun on day 6, when the piglets were weaned, and were continued to day 19. After weaning, the piglets were assigned randomly to receive one of three diets which differed only in their concentrations of calcium and phosphorus: 100% of the recommended level (diet A), 60% (diet B), and 20% (diet C). No differences were observed among groups during the 19-day study, either in weight gain (48 +/- 2 g/day) or increment in crown-rump length (2.4 +/- 0.2 cm/wk). BMC correlated significantly (p less than 0.001) with TBC at 6 (r = 0.83), 13 (r = 0.77), and 19 (r = 0.93) days. BMC correlated significantly (p less than 0.001) with the ash weight (r = 0.87) and calcium content (r = 0.90) of the corresponding tibial bone segment. Anthropometric parameters and serum indices of mineral status did not predict TBC as accurately as did BMC measurements. We observed a range in BMC measurements in this study that was similar to the range reported for infants in the 1st yr of life. The high correlation between BMC and TBC suggested that BMC is useful in the assessment of mineral status in infants.