Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on the Crystal Chemistry of Bone Mineral. ∗

Abstract

Summary

The results suggest that in the first 60 days of development the bone apatite of Wistar rats raised on a vit D-deficient diet is less mature crystallographically and chemically than the bone apatite of control animals. Earlier work showed that the crystallinity of normal rat bone approaches a maximum at about 40 days of age and remains at that level(3). It cannot be said with certainty from the experiment described herein whether the crystallinity of D-deficient bone apatite slowly approaches the final normal level or whether it remains at a lower level throughout life. The chemical maturity of D-deficient bone, while it was inferior to control bone during the period of maximum growth, approached the control level at the end of the experiment.