Amorphous Calcium Carbonate from Plants Can Promote Bone Growth in Growing Rats

Abstract

Simple Summary In order to explore the effect of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) supplementation on bone growth in growing rats, 3-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: a control group (C), low-dose group (L, 20.65 mg/kg of body weight (BW) ACC), a medium-dose group (M, 206.5 mg/kg of BW ACC), and a high-dose group (H, 413 mg/kg of BW ACC) administered by gavage for 12 weeks. The results indicated that ACC supplementation can enhance osteoblast metabolism and inhibit osteoclast metabolism, resulting in a higher bone formation rate compared to bone resorption. This led to increased trabecular bone thickness and a higher bone mineral density (BMD) and supported bone growth. By increasing peak bone mass, it is speculated that the risk of future osteoporosis could be reduced. To build upon the positive results of our study on skeletal health, future follow-up studies could be conducted on older rodents treated with ACC supplementation during the growth period.Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) supplementation on bone growth in growing rats. Methods: We used 3-week-old male Wistar rats to simulate childhood and adolescent growth stages. Rats were divided into four groups as follows: a control group (C), a low-dose group (L, 20.65 mg/kg body weight (BW) ACC), a medium-dose group (M, 206.5 mg/kg BW ACC), and a high-dose group (H, 413 mg/kg BW ACC) administered by gavage. Body length (BL) and BW were measured weekly. The bone mineral density (BMD) of two lumbar vertebrae (L3 and L4) and the left femur were analyzed by micro-computed tomography (mu CT) at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the rats were sacrificed. After that, blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta. Femurs and tibias were collected and weighed, and their lengths were measured. Then, bone samples were used to perform histopathological and histomorphometric analyses. Results: It showed that ACC supplementation in growing rats increased the trabecular bone thickness and serum bone formation biomarkers. Furthermore, high-dose ACC decreased serum bone resorption biomarkers and increased BMD. Conclusions: ACC supplementation can enhance osteoblast metabolism and inhibit osteoclast metabolism, resulting in a higher bone formation rate compared to bone resorption. This led to increased trabecular bone thickness, a higher BMD, and supported bone growth.