Abstract
Summary
Bone samples from control and immobilized rat legs were subjected to metabolic and chemical studies. Immobilization of the limb resulted in a marked drop in cellular nitrogen within one week, an effect which was still evident at 2 weeks. Loss in bone weight did not occur until the second week indicating that the reduction in cell nitrogen preceded bone resorption. The possibility that bone atrophy resulting from disuse was mediated via the parathyroid gland was advocated in view of the increased level of bone citric acid content and the higher output of lactic acid by the incubating bone tissue from the immobilized limbs.
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