EFFECT OF PROTEIN-ENERGY RESTRICTION, PREGNANCY AND LACTATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LONG BONE IN GROWING SHEEP

The effect of dietary protein-energy restriction (PER) on the growth of long bone were examined in sheep during growing period and then following a cycle of reproduction. Three months-old female sheep were offered protein-energy restricted feed for 6 months (growing period), thereafter changed to normal nutritional conditions for 8 months (reproduction period). A half of animals in each group took pregnancy, parturition and lactation. The nutritional restriction reduced the growth in bone diameter more than that in bone length. Compensatory growth resulting from the removal of the nutritional restraint strongly occurred in bone diameter, especially the bone cortical width, as compared to bone longitudinal growth. A cycle of reproduction severely decreased the growth in the bone cortical width relative to that in the bone width, and little effect was found on the growth in bone length and bone mass. The depression of bone development by pregnancy and lactation tended to exhibit severer in animals having received normal nutrition than in those having received PER. Bone mineral density was not affected by the nutritional restriction. A cycle of reproduction had an adverse effect on the mineral density between in animals having received normal nutrition and in those having received PER.