title: Phophate-induced renal calcification in the rat.
abstract: Studies were done to investigate nephrocalcinosis produced in weanling female Wistar rats fed pelleted, semisynthetic diets. The rats were fed diets varying in concentrations of Ca and P supplied as inorganic salts for periods of 4--6 weeks and results compared with control rats fed laboratory rodent chow for the same period of time. Measurement of renal Ca and P concentrations showed that nephrocalcinosis was produced by semisynthetic diets with inorganic phosphate concentrations as low as 0.5% on a weight basis; in contrast, rats fed regular laboratory chow (P = 0.72%) showed no evidence of nephrocalcinosis. The severity of the lesion was proportional to dietary phosphate concentrations from 0.5 to 1.0% but other dietary factors modified the severity of the lesion. With the lower dietary phosphate of 0.5%, increasing dietary Ca from 0.5 to 1.0% decreased the severity of the renal calcification. Decreasing protein concentrations from 25 to 15% casein increased the severity of the renal lesions. Other dietary factors also appear to modify the phosphate-induced nephrocalcinosis since no lesions occurred in rats on laboratory chow. It is suggested that the availability of dietary phosphate may be a factor. The phosphate in the semisynthetic diets was totally inorganic while the natural foods of laboratory chow contain, at least in part, organic phosphate.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010710:Phosphates / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D002118:Calcium