Abstract
Purpose To investigate the effects of dietary restriction on the growth plate and long bone tissue in growing rats. Methods Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to two groups: Control (Con) and Diet-restricted (Res). After weaning, the Res rats were offered 50% of the chow ingested by the control (ad libitum food intake). The animals were subdivided into two subgroups with follow-ups up to 56 or 70 days. After euthanasia, the growth plate of tibias was analyzed by histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography, and mechanical test. The trabecular and compact bones were evaluated by histomorphometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and micro-computed tomography (μCT). Real-time PCR was used to analyze gene expression. Results Although dietary restriction did not alter gene expression, several phenotypic changes were seen in the growth plate; i.e., decrease in volume, reduction in total area and height, decrease in the area ossified zones, mechanical weakening, reduction in mass of trabecular and cortical bone, lower bone density, deterioration of the trabecular and cortical microarchitecture, and trabeculae with lower collagen deposition. Conclusion Dietary restriction had severe detrimental effects on the growth plate and trabecular and cortical bone.
Highlights
Growth plate is a specialized structure which is responsible for the longitudinal growth of long bones as it promotes ossification, resulting a cumulative bone deposition at the metaphysis
The effects of undernutrition on the growth plate, trabecular and compact bones of growing rats were investigated by several approaches
Our overall results show that undernutrition causes a harmful impact in weight increase and long bone growth
Summary
Growth plate is a specialized structure which is responsible for the longitudinal growth of long bones as it promotes ossification, resulting a cumulative bone deposition at the metaphysis. A balanced food intake with specific nutrients such as proteins, minerals, and vitamins are essential for the optimum development of skeletal tissues, and for the maturation of several tissues and organs (i.e., neurological function, and hormonal and endocrine activity)[3,4,5,6,7]. It has been previously shown that an ideal nutritional status during skeletal maturation may be a key factor in achieving an optimum peak bone mass, decreasing the incidence of osteoporosis later in life[810]. Malnutrition affects the development of long bones and is the major cause of short stature, low weight[11] and lower peak bone mass[12,13]
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