title: Effects of dietary calcium on blood and tissue lipids, tissue phospholipids, calcium and magnesium levels in rabbits fed diets containing beef tallow.
abstract: Levels of lipids, calcium and magnesium in blood and tissue were examined in rabbits to determine the effects of 20% beef tallow diets containing three levels of calcium, less than 0.02, 0.8 or 1.6%. In plasma, the calcium-deficient (less than 0.02%) diet contributed to elevated cholesterol and phospholipid, but had no effect on triglyceride levels. Plasma calcium decreased in the calcium-deficient group and plasma magnesium decreased in the high-calcium (1.6%) group of rabbits. Lipid levels of some tissues varied with the level of dietary calcium. Cholesterol, total phospholipid, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine were generally elevated in livers of calcium-deficient rabbits, but the individual phospholipids were decreased in skeletal muscle. Lungs of the calcium-deficient group also had lower phospholipid levels than the high-calcium group. Liver, kidneys, brain and adipose tissue triglyceride levels were highest in the high-calcium group. The calcium level of skeletal muscle was lower in the calcium-deficient group than in the high-calcium group. Calcium in brain and adipose tissue were highest in the calcium-deficient group. Except for adipose tissue, magnesium levels of the tissues studied were not affected by dietary calcium.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium