Phosphorus has received relatively little attention in human nutrition since the phosphorus intake is almost always, if not invariably, higher than that of calcium and thought to be entirely adequate.
But in man, phosphorus deficiency is known to occur in many diseases with deficiency of other nutritients.
So, experiments were done with phosphorus deficient diets to make phosphorus-depletion disease. The results were as follows:
1. As the phosphorus deficiency progressed the animals lost their appetite and after 4 weeks, weight gain was decreased than control animals. Food efficiency ratio of diet was 50% after 4 weeks and was only 30% after 3 months, comparing with control rats.
2. In biological findings, the behaviors were normal and the lie of hair, which was good in every experiments, has begun to appear after about 2 months and continued thereafter. Refection was also observed.
3. As to the biochemical findings of blood, SGOT and SGPT were increased from 2 months and phosphorus value was decreased after 3 months but other data were in the range of normal values.
4. Concerning the organ weight to body weight ratio, atrophy of thymus gland and dilatation of caecum were marked 3 months after the initiation of the experiment.
5. When animals were kept on phosphorus deficient diet for 2 months, fatty liver was the general finding and the extent of fatty infiltration became more pronounced in rats fed the diet for 3 months.
6. In X ray examination, no abnormality was found in all skeleton of rats in every experimental period.
From above mentioned result, we could not discover the pathognomonic features of phosphorus depletion syndrome except hypophosphatemia at least in animals kept on phosphorus deficient diet for 3 months.
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