title: The effect of age and dietary restriction on bone strength, calcium and phosphorus contents of male F344 rats.
abstract: At 6 weeks of age, male Fischer F344 rats were fed a purified, casein based diet either ad libitum or in the amount of 60% of the diet consumed by the rats, fed ad libitum (restricted diet). Femur bone tissues were obtained from the rats at 4 and 13 months of age. The femurs of the animals fed ad libitum were significantly stronger than the femurs of the animals fed a restricted diet both at the age of 4 and 13 months [p0.01]. The body weight and bone weight of the animals fed ad libitum were also higher than that of the animals on the restricted diet. The bone ash weight was significantly lower for food restricted animals [p0.013] when compared to the animals fed ad libitum. The bone phosphorus content was significantly higher in the diet restricted older animals [p0.02] when compared to the diet restricted younger animals. Results indicate that food restriction will delay bone maturation.
authors.affiliation: College of Applied Science and Technology, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal 61790-5060, USA. nnakwe@ilstu.edu
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Nnakwe
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium