Abstract
In order to determine the effect of diabetes mellitus on the metabolism of calcium and bone, the plasma, urinary and bone mineral content, and the bone weight, length and cortical thickness of the Chinese hamsters in the Asahikawa colony were measured.The animals were divided into two groups: diabetic hamstcrs (malen=11, 9.9±0.8months, body weight39.4±1.1g, FBS430±24mg/dl, 7.4±0.6months sincc onsct of glycosuria) and non-diabctic hamstcrs (male, n=17, 10.0±0.2months, 44.7±0.9g, 67.5±5mg/dl).
The plasma calcium concentration in diabetic hamsters (9.86±0.21mg/dl) was lower than that in non-diabetic hamsters (10.25±0.21 mg/dl) but not significantly. The diabetic hamsters had hypoinsulinemia, hyperglycosuria and hypercalciuria. Urinary cyclic AMP and hydroxyproline in diabetic hamsters were significantly lower than in non-diabetic hamsters. The dry and ashed weights of the femur in diabetic hamsters (52.4±1.6, 27.6±0.9g, respectively) were significantly lower than in non-diabetic hamsters (64.2±1.8, 36.8±0.9g, respectively). The ashed per dry weight ratio and femur calcium and magnesium content per dry weight in diabetic hamsters were significantly lower than in non-diabetic hamsters, which might indicate that the bone weight loss was due mainly to mineral (calcium and magnesium) loss.
The femur in diabetic hamsters (19.2±0.1mm) was significantly shorter than that in nondiabetic hamsters (20.1±0.1mm), which means that there was disturbed bone growth in diabetic hamsters.Furthermore diabetic hamsters had cortical bone thinning.
The present data suggest that spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters have altered calcium and bone metabolism.Further studies will be required to elucidate the pathogenesis of this altered metabolism.
