Prolonged increase in dietary phosphate intake alters bone mineralization in adult male rats

Excessive intake of dietary phosphate without the company of calcium causes serum parathyroid hormone (s-PTH) concentration to rise. We investigated the effect of a modest but prolonged increase in dietary intake of inorganic phosphate on the bone quantitative factors of mature male rats. Twenty Wistar rats were divided into two groups and fed a high-phosphate diet (1.2% phosphate) or a control diet (0.6% phosphate) for 8 weeks. In the beginning and at the end of the study period, femur and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content and area were measured using DXA, s-PTH was analyzed from the blood sample, and after sacrifice, right femur was cut loose and processed into paraffin cuts. Bone diameter, inner diameter and cortical width was measured from the hematoxylin- and eosin-dyed femur cuts. Tibias were degraded and calcium and phosphate content was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer. Femoral BMD increased significantly more in the control group than in the phosphate group (P=.005). Lumbar BMD values decreased in both groups, and the fall was greater in the control group (P=.007). The phosphate group had significantly higher s-PTH values (P=.0135). Femoral histomorphometric values or tibial mineral contents did not differ between groups. In conclusion, increase in dietary phosphate intake caused s-PTH to rise and hindered mineral deposition into cortical bone, leading to lower BMD. The effect on trabecular bone was opposing as mineral loss was less in the lumbar spine of phosphate group animals. These results are in concurrence with the data stating that skeletal response to PTH is complex and site dependent.