Effects of long-term dietary lipids on mature bone mineral content, collagen, crosslinks, and prostaglandin E2 production in Japanese quail.

This study investigated the effects of long-term dietary lipids on mature bone mineral content, collagen concentration, crosslink levels, bone marrow and ex vivo prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) biosynthesis, as well as the relationship of PGE2 production to these bone formation parameters. One-month-old male Japanese quail were given a basal diet containing 1 of 4 lipid sources: soybean oil (SBO), hydrogenated soybean oil (HSBO), chicken fat (CF), or menhaden fish oil (FO) at 50 g/kg of the diet. At 8 mo of age, lipid treatments did not affect bone length, diameter, or weight in quail. Quail fed SBO or CF had significantly lower levels of mineral content in tibial bones compared with those given FO. Bone collagen level was significantly higher in quail consuming SBO than those given HSBO or CF. Collagen crosslink concentration was markedly increased in birds provided FO or HSBO compared with those fed SBO or CF. Prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis in bone organ culture and marrow were greatly increased in quail maintained on the SBO or CF diet compared with those given the FO or HSBO diet. Prostaglandin E2 production in the bone microenvironment was negatively correlated with tibial ash and collagen crosslinks but had a positive correlation with tibial collagen levels. These results support our previous findings that long-term exposure to diets high in SBO or CF impaired mature bone mechanical properties and histological characteristics. Further, the results suggest that long-term supplementation of SBO or CF in the diet had a significant adverse effect on mature bone metabolism, and that dietary lipids altered bone metabolism, perhaps partially by controlling the production of local regulatory factor in bone.