title: Intestinal absorption of calcium in newborn piglets. Role of vitamin D.
abstract: The role of vitamin D for intestinal absorption of Ca was studied in neonatal piglets. Piglets of normal phenotype (heterozygotes) and piglets which suffered from pseudo-vitamin D deficiency rickets, type I, which were devoid of renal 25-cholecalciferol-1-hydroxylase were used for the experiments. Intestinal absorption of Ca was measured after an oral dose of 3-7 MBq 45CaCl2. Intestinal absorption of Ca was the same in heterozygotes and homozygotic rachitic piglets during the first 3-4 weeks of life. Ca absorption began to decline in rachitic piglets at the age of 4 weeks. In 8-week-old rachitic piglets intestinal Ca absorption was 50% of control piglets. Body weights of heterozygotes and rachitic piglets were the same at birth and no different weight gains were seen between the two groups during the first 4-5 weeks of life. No differences were observed during the first weeks of life in the concentrations of plasma Ca, inorganic-phosphate and alkaline-phosphatase activity between the groups. Hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia developed in rachitic piglets between the 3rd and 5th weeks of life. Concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in plasma declined in heterozygote piglets from 130 +/- 26 to 88 +/- 19 pg/ml and in rachitic piglets from 67 +/- 37 to 23 +/- 11 pg/ml during the first 6 weeks. An intestinal nuclear 1,25-(OH)2D3 receptor was absent in neonatal piglets of both experimental groups. It is concluded that intestinal absorption of Ca in piglets during the first 2-4 weeks of life is independent of vitamin D.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, FRG.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lachenmaier-Currle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harmeyer
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D012279:Rickets / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D014807:Vitamin D; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium