title: Gender-related effects of vitamin D metabolites on cartilage and bone.
abstract: Sex steroid hormones are known to have gender-dependent effects on bone and cartilage in vivo and in vitro. To investigate whether this is a general property of steroids, or is specific to the sex steroid hormones, we examined whether the effects on bone of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3, the two active metabolites of vitamin D, are also gender-dependent. One-month-old male and female rats were treated for 1 month with various doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3, 24,25-(OH)2D3, or a combination of both metabolites. The direct effects of both metabolites on the skeleton of the treated animals were similar in male and female rats. 24,25-(OH)2D3 alone or in combination with 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased bone calcium and phosphorus, while 1,25-(OH)2D3 slightly decreased bone mineral content. 24,25-(OH)2D3 also enhanced the differentiation of cartilage in the growth plate, increasing the size of the hypertrophic zone. In addition, an increased metaphyseal bone volume was observed following 24,25-(OH)2D3 treatment in rats of both sexes, but not with 1,25-(OH)2D3. Vitamin D metabolites affected the weight gain of the experimental animals in a gender-dependent manner; 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased weight gain of male rats and 24,25-(OH)2D3 decreased weight gain of female rats. In addition, 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased bone weight and ash weight in male animals. These gender-dependent effects of vitamin D metabolites may occur indirectly via effects of sex steroid hormones, the latter being a sex-related effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ornoy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suissa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yaffe
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Boyan
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002356:Cartilage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D010758:Phosphorus; D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3; D002117:Calcitriol; D002118:Calcium