Influence of Folic Acid Restriction on Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density in Ovariectomized Rats Fed a High-fat Diet

Abstract

  This study investigated the influence of folic acid restriction on body composition and bone mineral density in ovariectomized (OVX) rats fed a high-fat diet. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (13 weeks old) were OVX or sham-operated (Sham). The OVX rats were divided into four groups: a basic control diet (OVX-Cont.), a basic control diet with folic acid restriction (OVX-FR), a high-fat diet (OVX-F), and a high-fat diet with folic acid restriction (OVX-HFR). At 28 days after starting the experimental diet, ovariectomy significantly increased the weight of fat and significantly decreased the bone mineral density (BMD) of vertebrae and femora. On the basis of two-way ANOVA, the high-fat diet significantly increased the body fat in the OVX groups. A significant interaction between folic acid restriction and the high-fat diet was observed for the femoral cancellous BMD in the OVX groups, and the femoral cancellous BMD was significantly lower in the OVX-HFR group compared with the OVX-F group. In the present study, a high-fat diet with folic acid restriction decreased the femoral cancellous BMD in OVX rats. An adequate intake of folic acid is necessary in order to maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis.