Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
07:38
Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit
Published on: December 16, 2015
Mechanistic Insights into Milk Minerals Driving Bone Development and Mineralization in Growing Rats
Yile Peng1, Yalin Zhou1, Simon Bøge Riis2
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China.
Nutrients
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Milk minerals enhance bone density and quality in growing rats, improving calcium absorption and bone metabolism. This suggests milk minerals are effective for bone health, comparable to calcium carbonate.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Bone Biology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Bone mineral density (BMD) and quality are critical for skeletal health.
- Calcium intake is essential for bone development, but absorption efficiency varies.
- The gut-bone axis plays a significant role in nutrient absorption and bone metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of milk minerals on bone health in growing rats.
- To elucidate the mechanisms behind milk minerals' effects on calcium absorption, bone metabolism, and the gut-bone axis.
- To compare the efficacy of milk minerals with calcium carbonate.
Main Methods:
- Growing rats were divided into five groups, receiving varying doses of milk minerals or calcium carbonate for 12 weeks.
- Analyses included bone mineral density (BMD), microarchitecture, mechanical strength, calcium content (femur, feces, diet), serum biomarkers, protein expression, and gut microbiota.
- Dosages of milk minerals were based on human recommended intake levels for elemental calcium.
Main Results:
- Milk minerals demonstrated comparable efficacy to calcium carbonate in enhancing femoral calcium content, BMD, and bone microarchitecture.
- The medium-dose milk mineral group showed significant bone-protective effects with higher calcium absorption rates.
- Milk minerals positively influenced bone metabolism markers, upregulated key proteins for calcium transport, increased IGF-I, and modulated gut microbiota composition.
Conclusions:
- Milk mineral supplementation effectively promotes bone formation and mineralization in growing rats.
- Enhanced intestinal calcium absorption, gut microbiota modulation, and increased microbial metabolites are key mechanisms.
- Milk minerals represent a viable alternative to calcium carbonate for improving bone health.
More Related Videos
04:24Proper Positioning and Restraint of a Rat Hind Limb for Focused High Resolution Imaging of Bone Micro-architecture Using In Vivo Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: November 22, 2017
07:12Semiautomated Longitudinal Microcomputed Tomography-based Quantitative Structural Analysis of a Nude Rat Osteoporosis-related Vertebral Fracture Model
Published on: September 28, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:31Essential Minerals for Bone Health
The minerals contained in all of the food we consume are essential for our organ systems. However, certain essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and fluoride, largely affect bone health.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
01:18The Bone Matrix
Bone contains a relatively small number of cells entrenched in a matrix of collagen fibers that provide an adherent surface for inorganic salt crystals. Both components of the matrix, organic and inorganic, contribute to the unusual properties of bone. Without collagen, bones would be brittle and shatter easily. Without mineral crystals, bones would flex and provide little support. This can be observed by an experiment: when the minerals of a bone are dissolved by soaking the bone in acid or...
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
01:25Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health
The growth and maintenance of bone are regulated by a combination of nutritional factors, including vitamins, such as vitamin A, B12, C, D, and K.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...