Foetal development in rats fed AIN-76A diets supplemented with excess calcium

This study was designed to evaluate the developmental effects of moderate dietary calcium increases in rats fed nutritionally adequate diets. Female Charles River CD/VAF Plus rats were given 0.50 (control), 0.75, 1.00 or 1.25% dietary calcium as calcium carbonate in AIN-76A diets for 6 wk before mating, during mating and for 20 days of gestation. On gestation day 20, the animals were killed and caesarean sections were performed. Both the non-pregnant and pregnant rats in the 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25% groups ate slightly more than did the control group during most of the intervals measured, but not all the increases were statistically significant. There was no consistent pattern of increase or decrease in weight gain. No dose-related changes were found in maternal clinical findings, the average number of implantations, resorptions and viable foetuses, or foetal length or weight. Under the conditions of the study, there were no statistically significant increases as compared with the control group in the litter incidence regarding specific external, visceral or skeletal variations of the foetuses. Dietary calcium was neither foetotoxic nor teratogenic at the concentrations used.