Effect of experimentally induced calcium deficiency on development, metabolism and liver morphogenesis of the chick embryo.

To study the effects of systemic calcium deficiency on embryonic development, chick embryos maintained in long-term shell-less cultures were compared to control embryos incubated in ovo with respect to various parameters of metabolism and growth. After incubation day 14, retarded growth and development were apparent in shell-less embryos which exhibited severe hypocalcaemia and hyperphosphataemia. A development-specific necrosis of the liver tissues was observed in both shell-less and control embryos, but the frequency and extent of tissue abnormality were significantly greater in the former. Serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase were considerably elevated in shell-less embryos. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that the relative levels of two major serum proteins were also altered in shell-less embryos.