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Effects of Cholecalciferol on Bone Formation and Serum Calcium, Phosphate and Magnesium in Chicks¹

Dental Research Center and Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

The purpose of this study was to examine the sequence of appearance of effects of vitamin D deficiency as well as a high daily intake of vitamin D on bone, blood and general growth. One-day-old male chicks were fed one of three diets that differed only in cholecalciferol content: none (D-deficient), 1.4 IU/g diet (control) or 70 IU/g diet (high-D). Body weight; serum Ca, PO₄ and Mg; and lipid-free dry weight and percentage ash of the right femur were measured after the chicks were fed the diets for periods ranging from 3 days to 4 weeks. Compared to control chicks the body weight of D-deficient chicks was not significantly reduced until week 3, whereas that of high-D chicks was only slightly reduced at 4 weeks. The serum Ca of D-deficient chicks was decreased at 1 week and fell progressively thereafter, while the serum Ca of high-D birds remained normal for the entire 4-week period. At 2 weeks, high-D chicks had a decreased serum Mg level and a normal serum PO₄ level, while D-deficient chicks had increased serum levels of both Mg and PO₄. Percentage bone ash was reduced at 2 weeks in D-deficient chicks and increased at 1 week in high-D chicks. The data indicate that: 1) a high, but nontoxic, intake of vitamin D can stimulate bone mineral deposition in the presence of a normal serum Ca level; 2) early effects of vitamin D deficiency in the chick are hypocalcemia by 1 week and hyperphosphatemia and hypermagnesemia by 2 weeks; and 3) an inverse relationship exists between levels of serum Mg and dietary vitamin D.

KEY WORDS: • cholecalciferol • bone • serum electrolytes • growth • chick

¹ This research was supported by USPHS Research Grant nos. DE-02668 and RR-5333 from the National Institute of Dental Research.

Manuscript received 7 May 1973.