Calcium metabolism in bone and teeth of rats during exposure to restriction of motor activity and to swimming exercise.

The effects of motor activity restriction for 90 days (hypokinesia, HK) and swimming training (T) on calcium metabolism in rat bones and teeth were evaluated. Male Wistar rats were distributed in four groups: untrained vivarium control rats (UVCR), untrained hypokinetic rats (UHKR), trained hypokinetic rats (THKR) and trained vivarium control rats (TVCR). Hypokinesia was obtained keeping the animals for 90 days in small individual cages which restricted their movements in all directions without hindering food and water intakes. Rats of THKR and TVCR were forced to swim for 15 to 90 minutes everyday. On the 1st, 7th, 15th day of a prehypokinetic period and on the 5th, 10th, 20th, 40th, 60th and 90th day of the hypokinetic period, six rats of each group were decapitated. Radioactive calcium was injected to the animals 70 days before autopsy. Calcium and phosphorus in serum, bones (molars, incisors, upper and lower jaws, parietal, scapular, clavicle, pelvic and tibial bones) and in the respective ash residues were measured. Body and bone weights, and radioactive calcium were also determined. Under prolonged exposure to HK (THKR and UHKR groups), bone weights and bone and ash Ca and P concentrations decreased, whereas serum Ca and P and 45Ca resorption increased, in comparison to the respective values in the UVCR and TVCR groups. Swimming exercise apparently did not modify calcium metabolism in the hypokinetic or control rats.