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Calcium Utilization and Skeletal Development in Chicks as Influenced by Parental Dietary Ascorbic Acid¹

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

The influence of ascorbic acid in the parental diet on calcium utilization and bone development was studied using rachitic and control progeny.

The parental vitamin C appeared to influence epiphyseal plate width in control and rachitic progeny, with a consistent increase observed in progeny from parents fed the ascorbic acid. Whether this effect was the result of increased cartilage cell development or an inhibition in the conversion of cartilage to bone tissue is a point of conjecture.

Parental vitamin C appeared to influence calcium skeletal retention in the rachitic progeny. In this respect it appeared that the presence of this vitamin was associated with an increased amount of Ca⁴⁵ deposition by the bone.

Between 4 and 8 hours postinjection, the two control groups and the rachitic group from parents fed vitamin C exhibited an active state of skeletal Ca⁴⁵ loss. This effect subsided in the control groups after 8 hours but continued in the rachitic chicks to 24 hours. The rachitic chicks from control parents had a lower maximal Ca⁴⁵ level in the skeleton and showed no evidence of loss of this isotope from this tissue to 24 hours postinjection. Despite these apparent differences between the two rachitic groups for Ca⁴⁵ utilization by the skeleton, there were no differences in bone ash weight for the two groups. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is given in the discussion.

² Research Participant for Teacher Training Program, Summer, 1959 and 1960, National Science Foundation.

³ Present address: Primera High School, Weston, Colorado.

Manuscript received 13 January 1961.