title: Isolation and identification of 1alpha-hydroxy-3-epi-vitamin D3, a potent suppressor of parathyroid hormone secretion.
abstract: Since our original demonstration of the metabolism of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 into 1alpha,25(OH)2-3-epi-D3 in human keratinocytes, there have been several reports indicating that epimerization of the 3 hydroxyl group of vitamin D compounds is a common metabolic process. Recent studies reported the metabolism of 25OHD3 and 24(R),25(OH)2D3 into their respective C-3 epimers, indicating that the presence of 1alpha hydroxyl group is not necessary for the 3-epimerization of vitamin D compounds. To determine whether the presence of a 25 hydroxyl group is required for 3-epimerization of vitamin D compounds, we investigated the metabolism of 1alphaOHD3, a non-25 hydroxylated vitamin D compound, in rat osteosarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8). We noted metabolism of 1alphaOHD3 into a less polar metabolite which was unequivocally identified as 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 using the techniques of HPLC, GC/MS, and 1H-NMR analysis. We also identified 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 as a circulating metabolite in rats treated with pharmacological concentrations of 1alphaOHD3. Thus, these results indicated that the presence of a 25 hydroxyl group is not required for 3-epimerization of vitamin D compounds. Furthermore, the results from the same studies also provided evidence to indicate that 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3, like 1alphaOHD3, is hydroxylated at C-25. We then evaluated the biological activities of 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3. Treatment of normal rats every other day for 7 days with 2.5 nmol/kg of 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 did not raise serum calcium, while the same dose of 1alphaOHD3 increased serum calcium by 3.39 +/- 0.52 mg/dl. Interestingly, in the same rats which received 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 we also noted a reduction in circulating PTH levels by 65 +/- 7%. This ability of 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 to suppress PTH levels in normal rats without altering serum calcium was further tested in rats with reduced renal function. The results indicated that the ED50 of 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 for suppression of PTH was only slightly higher than that of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, but that the threshold dose of the development of hypercalcemia (total serum Ca > 10.5 mg/dl) was nearly 80 times higher. These findings indicate that 1alphaOH-3-epi-D3 is a highly selective vitamin D analog with tremendous potential for treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic renal failure patients.
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine, 660S Euclid Avenue, Box 8126, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiskopf
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vouros
authors.forename: Gino J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Sasso
authors.forename: Milan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Uskokovic
authors.forename: Guochun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G Satyanarayana
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012516:Osteosarcoma; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014511:Uremia / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D002118:Calcium