The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of diet on the mandibles and growth centres of the long bones in the fetuses of diabetic rat dams given a normal diet compared with those given a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. 2. On the 9th day of gestation, the controls, groups 1 and 3, were injected with citrate buffer and given 200 and 600 g protein/kg diets respectively. Groups 2 and 4 were injected with 40 mg streptozotocin/kg body-weight and pair-fed with groups 1 and 3 respectively on the 200 and 600 g protein/kg diets. 3. On day 22, some dams were injected with either 45Ca or [14C]proline. Mandibles and long bones were removed and weighed and analysed for Ca content, 45Ca uptake, collagen and collagen synthesis. 4. The body-weights, and mandibular and long-bone weights of the fetuses in the diabetic 200 g protein/kg group were smaller than those of the non-diabetic 200 g protein/kg group, whereas those of the diabetic 600 g protein/kg group showed no difference from the non-diabetic 600 g protein/kg group. 5. The rate of collagen synthesis was higher in the fetuses of the diabetic 600 g protein/kg group than those of the non-diabetic group. Bones of the diabetic 200 g protein/kg group were lower in collagen content when compared with the non-diabetic group, whereas there was no difference between the diabetic and non-diabetic 600 g protein/kg groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
