The Effect of the Supplementation of a Diet Low in Calcium and Phosphorus with Either Sheep Milk or Cow Milk on the Physical and Mechanical Characteristics of Bone using A Rat Model

• Published in: Foods 2020-08, Vol.9 (8), p.1070
• Main Authors: Burrow, Keegan, Young, Wayne, Hammer, Niels, Safavi, Sarah, Scholze, Mario, McConnell, Michelle, Carne, Alan, Barr, David, Reid, Malcolm, Bekhit, Alaa El-Din
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bone; Bone density; Bones; Calcium; Cancellous bone; Consumption; Cortical bone; Cow's milk; dairy; deficient diet; Density; Diet; Dietary minerals; Dietary restrictions; Dietary supplements; Feed additives; Food research; Food science; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Mechanical properties; micro-computed tomography; Milk; Mineral composition; minerals; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrition; Nutritional aspects; Phosphorus; Reagents; Sheep; Structure-function relationships
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods9081070

This study assessed the effect of cow milk (CM) and sheep milk (SM) consumption on the micro-structure, mechanical function, and mineral composition of rat femora in a male weanling rat model. Male weanling rats were fed a basal diet with a 50% reduction in calcium and phosphorus content (low Ca/P-diet) supplemented with either SM or CM. Rats were fed for 28 days, after which the femora were harvested and stored. The femora were analyzed by μ-CT, three-point bending, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The addition of either milk to the low Ca/P-diet significantly increased ( < 0.05) trabecular bone volume, trabecular bone surface density, trabecular number, cortical bone volume, and maximum force, when compared to rats that consumed only the low Ca/P-diet. The consumption of either milk resulted in a significant decrease ( < 0.05) in trabecular pattern factor, and cortical bone surface to volume ratio when compared to rats that consumed only the low Ca/P-diet. The results were achieved with a lower consumption of SM compared to that of CM ( < 0.05). This work indicates that SM and CM can help overcome the effects on bone of a restriction in calcium and phosphorus intake.