Effects of cadmium, calcium, age and parity on bone mineral, density and strength in female rats

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5649825

Hammond, B F

Weanling female rats were fed diets containing one of three levels of calcium and one of four levels of cadmium in the drinking water. Approximately 10 animals from each group were sacrificed after the first pregnancy and the remaining animals after the fourth pregnancy. Reproductive performance, plasma and bone Ca and P and bone density and strength were measured. After the first pregnancy, offspring of dams treated with 5 or 10 ppM Cd were smaller at birth than offspring of dams treated with 0 or 1 ppM Cd. Offspring of dams fed 5 or 10 ppM Cd or the 0.3% Ca diet had decreased weaning weight regardless of parity. Cadmium treatment had no effect on the plasma Ca or the Ca-P ratio. At Cd levels of 5 or 10 ppM the plasma P was increased. The 0.3% Ca diet depressed the plasma Ca and the 0.9% Ca diet elevated the plasma Ca and depressed the plasma P when compared to the 0.6% diet. Parity did not affect plasma Ca but, after four pregnancies, plasma P was decreased. Plasma Ca of mature dams was higher than that of adolescent dams but plasma P was unaffected. Bone mineral, density and strength were decreased by the 0.3% Ca diet especially when Cd levels reached 10 ppM. Increasing dietary Ca above normal increased femur Ca of dams fed 1 ppM Cd but did not increase the Ca of the femur of dams given higher levels of Cd. After the first pregnancy, femur Ca of mature dams was greater than that of adolescent dams. After the fourth pregnancy, femurs of mature dams were less strong than those of adolescent dams; however, the density was the same. Increasing dietary Ca above 0.6% lessened the detrimental effects of 5 ppM Cd ingestion on bone density. Mature dams were less affected by the 0.3% Ca 10 ppM Cd treatment than were adolescent dams. 60 refs., 3 figs., 26 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (USA); Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76OR00033
• OSTI ID: 5649825
• Report Number(s): DOE/OR/00033-T208; ON: DE86014194
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Thesis
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CADMIUM
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CALCIUM
BLOOD CHEMISTRY
PHOSPHORUS
BONE TISSUES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEMALES
PREGNANCY
RATS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DATA
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
METALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
RODENTS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)