Effects of restricted calcium intake on bone and maxillofacial growth.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of a low calcium diet on maxillofacial development by evaluating Bone Mineral Content (BMC) in the lower alveolar bones, femurs, and tibias and by performing cephalometry on growing rats.


METHODS
Thirty 5-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups; the control group (n = 10) was given standard diet for 6 weeks, the low calcium/standard diet group (n = 10) was given a calcium-restricted diet for the first 4 weeks, and then a standard diet for the following 2 weeks, and the low calcium diet group (n = 10) was given the calcium-restricted diet for 6 weeks. After the rats were euthanized, heads and legs were fixed and cephalometry was performed. Next, mandibles, femurs and tibias were digitally photographed and the BMC was evaluated using our newly developed software.


RESULTS
The BMC was decreased in all of the bone samples from the two groups that received restricted calcium. In the low calcium/standard diet group, the BMC recovered the most in the tibias and least in the lower alveolar bones. Development of the mandibles in the anterior-posterior direction was accelerated, while that in the superior-inferior direction was inhibited in those rats.


CONCLUSIONS
The BMC reduction following calcium deficiency in the lower alveolar bone hardly recovers, so prevention is important. Development of the mandible in a superior-inferior direction is inhibited while that in an anterior-posterior direction is accelerated due to a calcium-restricted diet.
Watanabe
Koji
K
Department of Developmental Stomatognathic Function Science, Kyushu Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan.
Imamura
Hitoshi
H
Uchikanbori
Shinsaku
S
Fujita
Yuko
Y
Maki
Kenshi
K
D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002508:Cephalometry; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008445:Maxillofacial Development / Q000502:physiology*; D010781:Photography; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012886:Skull / Q000473:pathology; D013977:Tibia / Q000473:pathology
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002118:Calcium