Aluminum negatively impacts calcium utilization and bone in calcium-deficient rats

Zafar, Tasleem A; Teegarden, Dorothy; Ashendel, Curtis; Dunn, Michael A; Weaver, Connie M

doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2003.12.002

« PreviousNutrition Research
Volume 24, Issue 3 , Pages 243-259, March 2004

Aluminum negatively impacts calcium utilization and bone in calcium-deficient rats

Tasleem A Zafar
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2059, USA
Dorothy Teegarden
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2059, USA
Curtis Ashendel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2059, USA
Michael A Dunn
- Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
Connie M Weaver
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2059, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: (765) 494-8237; Fax: (765) 494-0674.

Received 28 May 2003; received in revised form 20 October 2003; accepted 26 October 2003.

Abstract

Three studies were designed to investigate the mechanism of aluminum on calcium metabolism. An acute dose of dietary aluminum did not affect calcium absorption in rats. In the second study, rats were fed a calcium-adequate or calcium-deficient diet with 0%, 0.05%, or 0.1% aluminum. Half of the rats were sacrificed after 3 weeks and the remainder fed calcium-adequate diets with the previous aluminum concentration for another 3 weeks. Total bone calcium and breaking-strength decreased with calcium deficiency and aluminum supplementation. Femur ⁴⁵Ca and PTH increased in calcium deficiency but were unaffected by aluminum. Aluminum at both levels decreased intestinal CaBP-D9K in the nonfasted rats with no effect on intestinal CaBP-D9KmRNA or kidney CaBP-D28. Aluminum did not decrease brain CaBP-D28K. In a third study of pair feeding, aluminum (0.20%) in severe calcium deficiency (0.02%) had an adverse effect on bone calcium. In summary, adverse effects of aluminum on bone health were minor unless rats were calcium deficient.

Keywords: Aluminum, Calcium, Calcium binding proteins, Bone