Alteration of femoral structure in later life by chronically feeding caffeine during rapid growing period in newborn female rats

• Published in: Toxicology letters Vol. 73; no. 1; pp. 55 - 64
• Main Authors: Hiroshige, Sasahara, Cheuk, Shu L., Wink, Carole S., Koji, Hashimoto, Rossowska, Magdalena J., Tetsuo, Nakamoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.07.1994; Amsterdam Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - drug effects; Bone and Bones - embryology; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone changes; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone Development - physiology; Caffeine; Caffeine - toxicity; Female; Femur - diagnostic imaging; Femur - drug effects; Food toxicology; Histomorphometry; Mandible - drug effects; Medical sciences; Minerals; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Radiography; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Toxicology; Bone changes; Minerals; Histomorphometry; Caffeine; Femur; Senescence; Rat; Toxicity; Rodentia; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Inorganic element; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Newborn animal; Delayed toxicity; Xanthine derivatives; Bone
• ISSN: 0378-4274; 1879-3169
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-4274(94)90188-0

The effects of caffeine intake in early life on bone structure later in life were studied in rats. At day 9 of gestation, dams were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (control) received a 20% protein diet; group 2 received the 20% protein diet supplemented with caffeine (2mg/100g body weight). After birth pups were continuously fed their respective diets until day 93, when the diet of group 2 was replaced with a noncaffeine 20% protein diet. On day 388 animals from both groups were weighed, killed, and femora and mandibles were removed. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, hydroxyproline, and hexosamine concentrations were measured. Radiographs of some femora were taken and paraffin cross sections were made at the midshaft of others. Femora in the caffeine group were wider, periosteal bone area/total bone area was greater, the cross sectional area of femoral bone was smaller, and there were fewer osteocytes/bone area than in controls. Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and hydroxyproline concentrations in the caffeine group were less in both bones of the caffeine group. These results indicate that if animals are exposed to caffeine during the rapidly growing period, changes occur in femoral bone which are similar to those that occur with aging.