Decreased bone formation and mineralization in virus-induced diabetes mellitus.

Severe hyperglycemic and hypoinsulinemic mice were selected at 30 and 180 days after infection with the D variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus. In these animals, although the concentration of calcium and phosphate in serum was not changed, the alkaline phosphatase activity and the rate of mineralization in the proximal tibial epimetaphysis were markedly decreased in the diabetic mice for 30 and 180 days compared with those of the age-matched uninfected animals. Viral specific antigens were not found in these tissues at either earlier or later infection with the virus. It is concluded that endochondral bone formation and mineralization are greatly impaired in EMC virus-induced diabetic mice, and the decreased bone formation and mineralization are not due to the virus-induced tissue damage, but to the persistent metabolic alterations.