The effect of vitamin D in rats maintained on diets with different mineral content but with the same calcium to phosphorus ratio of unity

Abstract

1. Eight groups of ten weanling rats were maintained for 60 d on diets containing calcium and phosphorus in the ratio 1:1 (w/w) at four different levels of mineral, namely 0.08, 0.12, 0.24 and 0.36% Ca, with and without the addition of ergocalciferol.2. Provision of vitamin D increased final body-weight except at the highest level of mineral intake. Similarly, increasing the mineral intake increased final body-weight except at the highest level.3. Vitamin D raised the serum Ca concentration at all levels of mineral intake but in the experiment as a whole had no significant effect on serum P concentration. Serum Ca concentration was significantly higher at the two higher levels of mineral intake than at the two lower levels. Increasing dietary mineral caused a progressive increase in serum P concentration, except at the highest level of intake.4. In general, the addition of vitamin D to the diets had no effect on the fresh or dry weights of the humeri; there was an indication, however, that at the two lower levels of mineral intake, vitamin D reduced the fresh weight of bone. The addition of the vitamin caused a reduction in bone volume, and an increase in bone length, bone ash and the ratio of the weight of ash to the weight of organic matter in dry, fat-free bone. With increasing dietary mineral there was an increase in the value of all the bone measurements except bone volume, which was decreased.5. The addition of vitamin D and increasing dietary mineral both caused an increase in tooth mass and ash content.6. The ratios of tooth mass to bone mass, and tooth ash to bone ash were unaffected by vitamin D, but decreased with increasing mineral intake.7. Histological examination of the bones showed that the animals receiving 0.08 % of Ca and P were markedly rachitic although the presence of vitamin D ameliorated the condition. When the dietary mineral intake was raised to 0.12% Ca and P the animals were less severely rachitic and in the presence of vitamin D the bones appeared normal.8. The incisor teeth were abnormal at the two lower levels of mineral intake, but when vitamin D was provided, the histological appearance was improved. When the Ca and P level in the diet was 0.24%, the incisal dentine appeared normal but the apical predentine was slightlywider thannormal; addition of vitamin D produced teeth of normal appearance. The incisor teeth were normal in appearance in the remaining groups.9. These results are compared with those obtained in two previous studies where the Ca to P ratios were 1:10 and 10:1 (Harrand & Hartles, 1968, 1969).