Dietary phosphorus does not reduce the risk for spinal deformities in a model of adjuvant-induced inflammation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) postsmolts

Inflammation is a non‐specific protective mechanism towards injury known to affect bone remodelling. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) induced‐inflammation on the prevalence of spinal deformities of Atlantic salmon postsmolts fed with two different dietary P levels. Sextuple groups of salmon postsmolts were fed with either a low‐phosphorous (6 g kg−1 available P, LP) or a high‐phosphorous (9 g kg−1 available P) diet for a period of 101 days. On Day 102, individually tagged fish were subjected to (i) single injection with FCA (0.125 mg kg−1 BW) dissolved in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) (ii) placebo injection with PBS or (iii) sham injection (insertion of needle only) or (iv) remained untreated. On Day 103, fish were given a common diet for 174 days in seawater. No significant differences in body weight were observed. Injected fish, particularly the FCA group, had more compressions in the injection site than untreated fish. No effect of diet and no interaction between treatment and diet were observed. Severe scoliosis was observed in ∼7% of FCA‐injected individuals, corresponding to a mixture of bone malformations in the tail region. In conclusion, experimentally induced inflammation may be an independent risk factor for bone deformities in Atlantic salmon.