Impact of dietary calcium and phosphorus levels on an ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rat model of osteoporosis

Abstract

Ovariectomized rats were used as an animal model of osteoporosis in this study. They were given ad libitum access to a diet with high or low calcium to phosphorus ratio, or a normal diet, for a period of 10 weeks and effects on osteoporosis were assessed. Our results showed that the experimental diets affect urine levels of calcium and phosphorus, but do not affect the levels of biochemical, histopathological, or bone-related biomarkers. These results indicate that the administration of feed with different ratios of calcium to phosphorus (the phosphorus content was kept constant and the calcium content varied from 0.2× to 5× relative to the phosphorus content) over a period of 10 weeks does not accelerate the development of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats with normal renal function to maintain homeostasis.