Severe Calcium Deficiency in Growing Rats

Abstract

Severe calcium deprivation causes a rapid reduction in the serum calcium concentration, and a decrease in the calcium and magnesium content of the whole rat carcass. The serum inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, and phosphatase, red corpuscle magnesium, and the blood sugar do not deviate from normal. There is the usual content of hemoglobin in the blood. The soft tissues maintain their normal mineral content. The bones of the deficient animals are greatly demineralized. The per cent of ash and calcium of the bone is only about one-half the normal. There is a lesser decrease in the phosphorus and magnesium percentage. In the bone ash, the contents of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus are slightly low, high, and normal, respectively.