Alteration of glucose consumption and adenosine triphosphate content in bone tissue of rats with different ages: the stimulatory effect of zinc.

The alteration in bone metabolism at different ages was investigated by estimating glucose consumption and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in a culture system of bone tissue from 3- and 30-week-old rats. The femoral-diaphyseal tissue was removed and cultured for periods up to 48 h in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium. Bone tissue was incubated at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2/95% air in a medium containing either vehicle and zinc sulfate (10(-6) - 10(-4) M). The medium glucose consumed by bone tissue clearly increased in a 48 h-culture in 3-week-old rats, while the increase in 30-week-old rats was slight. The presence of zinc sulfate (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) caused a significant increase in bone glucose consumption in 3- and 30-week-old rats. ATP content in cultured bone tissue from 30-week-old rats fairly fell in comparison with that from 3-week-old rats. Bone ATP contents in 3- and 30-week-old rats were significantly increased by the presence of zinc (10(-4) M). The present findings suggest that bone energy metabolism deteriorates with increasing age, and that zinc has a stimulatory effect in elderly rats.