Changes in inorganic composition of tissues in experimental osteolathyrism

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Pathology, and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
² Departments of Biochemistry, Pathology, and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

This report presents data on changes in the electrolyte content of plasma, epiphyseal cartilage, bone and muscle of weanling rats suffering from acute osteolathyrism. There was no change in the plasma pH, the hematocrit, and the plasma concentration of water, Cl, Na, K and P. However, an 11% decrease in Ca was found. In cartilage, the water content increased 16%. On a wet weight basis, Ca decreased 24%, P 16%, and K 19%, while Cl increased 11% and Na did not change. In bone, the only significant change was a 6.5% increase in water, its concentrations of Ca and P remaining at the control levels. No changes were found in muscle. Histochemical reactions for acid mucopolysaccharides, such as changes in metachromasia, indicated that the cartilage matrix is undergoing substantial modifications in osteolathyrism. It is suggested that a defect in sulfur metabolism produces an anionic deficit in cartilage which is met by decreased Ca⁺⁺ and increased Cl^– concentrations, thereby increasing the number of osmotically active particles and secondarily influencing the water content.