ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACID DEFICIENCY AND BONE FRAGILITY IN RATS

This study demonstrates the effect of essential fatty acid deficiency on the postnatal skeletal development in the rat, Four groups (n = 10) of newborn Wistar rats were fed diets containing high and low proport ions of essential fatty acids in the lipid fraction until day 16 after birth. Suckled littermates were used as controls. X-ray and histologi cal studies showed the occurrence of multiple pathological fractures o f the long bones in 1-month-old rats fed a diet deprived of essential fatty acids. No effect of high (51,000 IU/100 g diet) and low (5,100 I U/100 g diet) concentrations of vitamin D2 was observed in our experim ent. Thus, these data suggest the importance of essential fatty acids for bone pathology in the rat.