Attempts to Alter Kidney Calcification in the Magnesium-deficient Rat

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Abstract
A series of investigations was made to study the effects of certain dietary variables on the characteristic kidney calcification in the magnesium-deficient young male rat. It was shown that the metabolic stimulators, sodium salicylate and 2,4-dinitrophenol were without effect, thus indicating that metabolic stimulation per se is not a reason for the anticalcifying effect of thyroxine. Fluoride at levels of 20 to 100 ppm, but not lower or higher concentrations, strongly inhibited calcification. Fluoride increased absorption and retention of calcium and magnesium in magnesium-deficient but not in magnesium-adequate animals. Dietary ethionine, an ATP-lowering inhibitor of protein synthesis, greatly exaggerated kidney calcification and this effect was largely offset by dietary thyroxine but not by dietary adenine. Injected adenine, however, but not injected ethionine, exaggerated the calcification syndrome.