In order to elucidate the relationship of osteogenesis with aluminum a
nd iron deposition, we investigated the histopathological findings of
bone in calcium and/or aluminium-deficient rats,together with levels o
f calcium, aluminium and iron in sera and bone tissues, and also the l
evel of serum parathyroid hormone. Four week old male STD-Wistar rats
were divided into four groups to examine the effects of four kinds of
diets for ten weeks. The rats on normal diet (Group I) and normal diet
+ aluminum (Group II) did not show any pathological changes of the bo
nes, but in both calcium-deficient diet group (Group III) and calcium
deficient diet added aluminium (Group IV), the compact bone converted
into spongy bone in varying degrees, paticularly in Group IV. Aluminiu
m deposition was demonstrated at the calcification fronts and the ceme
nt lines only in Group TV as red or violet-red lines with aluminium st
ain, together with iron deposition as revealed with Berlin blue stain,
showing similar distribution pattern as aluminum. It was clearly indi
cated that aluminium and iron, instead of calcium, deposited on the ca
lcification front of the bone under the condition of calcium deficienc
y, inhibiting the normal osteogenesis.