Odontoblast metabolism in rats deficient in vitamin D and calcium I: A histochemical survey.

Different rat diets, deficient in calcium and/or vitamin D, were tested for varying experimental periods to obtain changes in serum calcium values, body weight gain and odontoblast-predentine morphology. One diet, R 25, used during a 14-day period, was found to induce lowered serum calcium values and an increased predentin width in incisor teeth. Rats fed this diet demonstrated an increase in alkaline phosphatase and ATP-splitting enzyme activity in dentinogenically active incisor odontoblasts. No other metabolic changes in these cells were demonstrated by the histochemical methods employed.