Calcimimetics maintain bone turnover in uremic rats despite the concomitant decrease in parathyroid hormone concentration.

Calcimimetics decrease parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. The decrease in PTH should cause a reduction in bone turnover; however, the direct effect of calcimimetics on bone cells, which express the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), has not been defined. In this study, we evaluated the direct bone effects of CaSR activation by a calcimimetic (AMG 641) in vitro and in vivo. To create a PTH "clamp," total parathyroidectomy was performed in rats with and without uremia induced by 5/6 nephrectomy, followed by a continuous subcutaneous infusion of PTH. Animals were then treated with either the calcimimetic or vehicle. Calcimimetic administration increased osteoblast number and osteoid volume in normal rats under a PTH clamp. In uremic rats, the elevated PTH concentration led to reduced bone volume and increased bone turnover, and calcimimetic administration decreased plasma PTH. In uremic rats exposed to PTH at 6-fold the usual replacement dose, calcimimetic administration increased osteoblast number, osteoid surface, and bone formation. A 9-fold higher dose of PTH caused an increase in bone turnover that was not altered by the administration of calcimimetic. In an osteosarcoma cell line, the calcimimetic induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation and the expression of osteoblast genes. The addition of a calcilytic resulted in the opposite effect. Moreover, the calcimimetic promoted the osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Thus, calcimimetic administration has a direct anabolic effect on bone that counteracts the decrease in PTH levels.

Calcitonin, the forgotten hormone: does it deserve to be forgotten?

Calcitonin is a 32 amino acid hormone secreted by the C-cells of the thyroid gland. Calcitonin has been preserved during the transition from ocean-based life to land dwellers and is phylogenetically older than parathyroid hormone. Calcitonin secretion is stimulated by increases in the serum calcium concentration and calcitonin protects against the development of hypercalcemia. Calcitonin is also stimulated by gastrointestinal hormones such as gastrin. This has led to the unproven hypothesis that postprandial calcitonin stimulation could play a role in the deposition of calcium and phosphate in bone after feeding. However, no bone or other abnormalities have been described in states of calcitonin deficiency or excess except for diarrhea in a few patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Calcitonin is known to stimulate renal 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D (1,25D) production at a site in the proximal tubule different from parathyroid hormone and hypophosphatemia. During pregnancy and lactation, both calcitonin and 1,25D are increased. The increases in calcitonin and 1,25D may be important in the transfer of maternal calcium to the fetus/infant and in the prevention and recovery of maternal bone loss. Calcitonin has an immediate effect on decreasing osteoclast activity and has been used for treatment of hypercalcemia. Recent studies in the calcitonin gene knockout mouse have shown increases in bone mass and bone formation. This last result together with the presence of calcitonin receptors on the osteocyte suggests that calcitonin could possibly affect osteocyte products which affect bone formation. In summary, a precise role for calcitonin remains elusive more than 50 years after its discovery.

Approach to treatment of hypophosphatemia.

Hypophosphatemia can be acute or chronic. Acute hypophosphatemia with phosphate depletion is common in the hospital setting and results in significant morbidity and mortality. Chronic hypophosphatemia, often associated with genetic or acquired renal phosphate-wasting disorders, usually produces abnormal growth and rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Acute hypophosphatemia may be mild (phosphorus level, 2-2.5 mg/dL), moderate (1-1.9 mg/dL), or severe (<1 mg/dL) and commonly occurs in clinical settings such as refeeding, alcoholism, diabetic ketoacidosis, malnutrition/starvation, and after surgery (particularly after partial hepatectomy) and in the intensive care unit. Phosphate replacement can be given either orally, intravenously, intradialytically, or in total parenteral nutrition solutions. The rate and amount of replacement are empirically determined, and several algorithms are available. Treatment is tailored to symptoms, severity, anticipated duration of illness, and presence of comorbid conditions, such as kidney failure, volume overload, hypo- or hypercalcemia, hypo- or hyperkalemia, and acid-base status. Mild/moderate acute hypophosphatemia usually can be corrected with increased dietary phosphate or oral supplementation, but intravenous replacement generally is needed when significant comorbid conditions or severe hypophosphatemia with phosphate depletion exist. In chronic hypophosphatemia, standard treatment includes oral phosphate supplementation and active vitamin D. Future treatment for specific disorders associated with chronic hypophosphatemia may include cinacalcet, calcitonin, or dypyrimadole.

The journey from vitamin D-resistant rickets to the regulation of renal phosphate transport.

In 1937, Fuller Albright first described two rare genetic disorders: Vitamin D resistant rickets and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, now respectively known as X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) and the McCune-Albright syndrome. Albright carefully characterized and meticulously analyzed one patient, W.M., with vitamin D-resistant rickets. Albright subsequently reported additional carefully performed balance studies on W.M. In this review, which evaluates the journey from the initial description of vitamin D-resistant rickets (XLH) to the regulation of renal phosphate transport, we (1) trace the timeline of important discoveries in unraveling the pathophysiology of XLH, (2) cite the recognized abnormalities in mineral metabolism in XLH, (3) evaluate factors that may affect parathyroid hormone values in XLH, (4) assess the potential interactions between the phosphate-regulating gene with homology to endopeptidase on the X chromosome and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and their resultant effects on renal phosphate transport and vitamin D metabolism, (5) analyze the complex interplay between FGF23 and the factors that regulate FGF23, and (6) discuss the genetic and acquired disorders of hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia in which FGF23 plays a role. Although Albright could not measure parathyroid hormone, he concluded on the basis of his studies that showed calcemic resistance to parathyroid extract in W.M. that hyperparathyroidism was present. Using a conceptual approach, we suggest that a defect in the skeletal response to parathyroid hormone contributes to hyperparathyroidism in XLH. Finally, at the end of the review, abnormalities in renal phosphate transport that are sometimes found in patients with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia are discussed.

Dynamics of parathyroid hormone secretion in health and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

This review examines the dynamics of parathyroid hormone secretion in health and in various causes of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Although most studies of parathyroid hormone and calcium have focused on the modification of parathyroid hormone secretion by serum calcium, the relationship between parathyroid hormone and serum calcium is bifunctional because parathyroid hormone also modifies serum calcium. In normal animals and humans, factors such as phosphorus and vitamin D modify the basal parathyroid hormone level and the maximal parathyroid hormone response to hypocalcemia. Certain medications, such as lithium and estrogen, in normal individuals and sustained changes in the serum calcium concentration in hemodialysis patients change the set point of calcium, which reflects the serum calcium concentration at which parathyroid hormone secretion responds. Hypocalcemia increases the basal/maximal parathyroid hormone ratio, a measure of the relative degree of parathyroid hormone stimulation. The phenomenon of hysteresis, defined as a different parathyroid hormone value for the same serum calcium concentration during the induction of and recovery from hypo- and hypercalcemia, is discussed because it provides important insights into factors that affect parathyroid hormone secretion. In three causes of secondary hyperparathyroidism--chronic kidney disease, vitamin D deficiency, and aging--factors that affect the dynamics of parathyroid hormone secretion are evaluated in detail. During recovery from vitamin D deficiency, the maximal parathyroid hormone remains elevated while the basal parathyroid hormone value rapidly becomes normal because of a shift in the set point of calcium. Much remains to be learned about the dynamics of parathyroid hormone secretion in health and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Hyperphosphatemia modestly retards parathyroid hormone suppression during calcitriol-induced hypercalcemia in normal and azotemic rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In in vitro studies, a high phosphate concentration has been shown to directly stimulate parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in a normal calcium concentration and to reduce PTH suppression in a high calcium concentration. In hemodialysis patients during dialysis-induced hypercalcemia, the effect of hyperphosphatemia on PTH secretion was less than in vitro studies. Our goal was to determine whether hyperphosphatemia retards PTH suppression during calcitriol-induced hypercalcemia in azotemic rats with hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: Rats underwent a two-stage 5/6 nephrectomy or sham operations. After surgery, rats received a high phosphate diet (P 1.2%, Ca 0.6%) for 4 weeks to induce hyperparathyroidism and then were placed on a normal diet (P 0.6%, Ca 0.6%) for two additional weeks to normalize serum calcium values in azotemic rats. At week 7, rats were divided into five groups and before sacrifice received at 24-hour intervals, three doses of calcitriol (CTR) or its vehicle. The five groups and dietary phosphate content were: group 1--normal renal function (NRF) + 0.6% P + vehicle; group 2--NRF + 0.6% P + CTR; group 3--renal failure (RF) + 0.6% P + vehicle; group 4--RF + 1.2% P + CTR; and group 5--RF + 0.6% P + CTR. RESULTS: In the two CTR-treated groups with marked hypercalcemia (groups 2 and 5), 15.52 +/- 0.26 and 15.12 +/- 0.13 mg/dl, respectively, stepwise regression showed that hyperphosphatemia retarded PTH suppression. When the two azotemic groups treated with CTR (groups 4 and 5) were combined to expand the range of serum calcium values, stepwise regression showed that hypercalcemia suppressed and hyperphosphatemia modestly retarded PTH suppression. Similarly, in groups 4 and 5 combined, correlations were present between PTH and both serum calcium (r = -0.70, p < 0.001) and serum phosphate (r = 0.64, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hypercalcemia and high doses of calcitriol markedly reduced PTH secretion in azotemic rats despite severe hyperphosphatemia. Even though hyperphosphatemia did retard PTH suppression during hypercalcemia, its effect was small.

How dietary phosphate, renal failure and calcitriol administration affect the serum calcium-phosphate relationship in the rat.

BACKGROUND: The effect of hyperphosphataemia on serum calcium regulation in renal failure has not been well studied in a setting in which hypercalcaemia is not parathyroid hormone (PTH) mediated. In azotemic rats with a normal serum calcium concentration, an increased dietary phosphate burden affects serum calcium regulation because of its effects on skeletal resistance to PTH, calcitriol production, and possibly intestinal calcium absorption. Our goal was to determine how hyperphosphataemia affected the development of hypercalcaemia during calcitriol-induced hypercalcaemia and PTH suppression in azotemic rats with established hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: Rats underwent a two-stage 5/6 nephrectomy or corresponding sham operations. After surgery, rats were given a high phosphate diet (P 1.2%) for 4 weeks to exacerbate hyperparathyroidism and were then changed to a normal diet (P 0.6%) for 2 weeks to normalize serum calcium values in the azotemic rats. At week 7, rats were divided into five groups and sacrificed after receiving three intraperitoneal doses of calcitriol (CTR, 500 pmol/100 g) or vehicle at 24 h intervals. The five groups and dietary phosphate content were: group 1, normal renal function (NRF)+0.6% P+vehicle; group 2, NRF+0.6% P+CTR; group 3, renal failure (RF)+0.6% P+vehicle; group 4, RF+1.2% P+CTR; and group 5, RF+0.6% P+CTR. Both the 0.6% and 1.2% phosphate diets contained 0.6% calcium. RESULTS: Serum creatinine values were increased (P<0.05) in 5/6 nephrectomized rats (groups 3, 4 and 5), as were serum calcium values (P<0.05) in CTR-treated rats (groups 2, 4 and 5) and serum phosphate values (P<0.05) in CTR-treated azotemic rats (groups 4 and 5). Serum PTH values were suppressed (P<0.05) in CTR-treated hypercalcemic rats (groups 2, 4 and 5) and increased (P<0.05) in azotemic rats not given CTR (group 3). In the azotemic groups (groups 3, 4 and 5), an inverse correlation was present between serum calcium and phosphate in each group, despite a wide variation in serum calcium values. The slope of the inverse relationship between serum calcium and phosphate was steeper in CTR-treated azotemic rats on a 1.2% phosphate (group 4) diet than on a 0.6% phosphate (group 5) diet (P=0.02). Thus, for a similar increase in the serum phosphate concentration, serum calcium values decreased more in group 4 than in group 5. The independent effect of dietary phosphate on serum calcium values was also confirmed by analysis of covariance. Finally, the serum calcium concentration was shown to be greater for any given serum phosphate value in CTR-treated rats than in those not on CTR. CONCLUSIONS: In azotemic rats with calcitriol-induced hypercalcaemia, the magnitude of hypercalcaemia is affected by: (i) the serum phosphate concentration; and (ii) differences in dietary phosphate content. Calcitriol administration also acts to shift upwards the relationship between serum calcium and phosphate so that a higher serum calcium concentration can be maintained for any given serum phosphate value.

The in vitro effect of calcitriol on parathyroid cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Calcitriol treatment is used to reduce parathyroid hormone levels in azotemic patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Whether long-term calcitriol administration reduces parathyroid gland size in patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism is not clear. The aim of the study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of calcitriol on parathyroid cell proliferation and apoptosis in normal parathyroid glands and in adenomatous and hyperplastic human parathyroid glands. Freshly harvested parathyroid glands from normal dogs and hyperplastic and adenomatous glands from patients with secondary (2 degrees) and primary (1 degree) HPT undergoing parathyroidectomy were studied. Flow cytometry was used to quantify the cell cycle and apoptosis of parathyroid cells. Apoptosis was also evaluated by DNA electrophoresis and light and electron microscopy. In normal dog parathyroid glands, culture with calcitriol (10(-10) to 10(-7) M) for 24 h produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the progression of cells into the cell cycle and into apoptosis. When glands from patients with 2 degrees HPT were cultured for 24 h, only high calcitriol concentrations (10(-7) M) inhibited the progression through the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis. In parathyroid adenomas (1 degrees HPT), even a high concentration of calcitriol (10(-7) M) had no significant effect on the cell cycle or apoptosis. The present study shows that in vitro, calcitriol inhibits in a dose-dependent manner in normal parathyroid glands both parathyroid cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, in secondary hyperplasia, only high concentrations of calcitriol inhibited cell proliferation and apoptosis. In 1 degree HPT, even high concentrations of calcitriol had no effect. Because calcitriol simultaneously inhibits both cell proliferation and apoptosis, a reduction in the parathyroid gland mass may not occur as a direct effect of calcitriol treatment.