title: Evidence for extra-renal 1 alpha-hydroxylation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in pregnancy.
abstract: The kidneys are thought to be the only organs capable of 1 alpha-hydroxylation of vitamin D and its metabolites. We have examined the in vivo conversion of 3H-(25,26)-25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25OHD3) to 3H-(25,26)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3] in vitamin D-deficient, pregnant and nonpregnant rats. As expected, nephrectomy of nonpregnant, vitamin D-deficient rats prevented the conversion of 25OHD3 to 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. In contrast, nephrectomy of pregnant, vitamin D-deficient rats reduced but did not abolish the formation of 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 from its precursor. The identity of the radioactive metabolite formed from 3H-25OHD3 which circulated in nephrectomized, pregnant rats was established as 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 by comigration with synthetic 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 on high-pressure liquid chromatography. The simultaneous absence of 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 in the fetal kidneys indicated that the site of 1 alpha-hydroxylation after nephrectomy of the pregnant rat was probably extra-renal in origin. Two sites of 1 alpha-hydroxylation of 25OHD3, one renal and the other extra-renal, either fetoplacental or maternal, may exist in the pregnant, vitamin D-deficient rat.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000378:metabolism*; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009392:Nephrectomy; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal
chemical_list: D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols