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In vivo bone metabolism and ex vivo bone marrow osteoprogenitors in vitamin D-deprived pigs

Denis I, Cournot G, Lacroix H, Colin C, Zerath E, Pointillart A

Bone, 2000

Abstract

Vitamin D insufficiency is still a concern in countries where there is no routine food supplementation, such as France. A low vitamin D status is clearly associated with an increased risk of fracture in the elderly, but the long-term consequences of latent vitamin D insufficiency in young people and adults are not known. We fed 26 growing pigs a high calcium diet (1.1%) with a 1000 IU cholecalciferol/kg diet (controls), or without vitamin D (0D) for 4 months. We then analyzed the overall impact of low vitamin D status on osteotropic hormones (calcitriol and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone), plasma markers of bone remodeling (alkaline phosphatase [ALP] activity, carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen [PICP], osteocalcin, hydroxyproline), whole bone parameters (ash content, bending moment), histomorphometry, and the populations of marrow osteoblastic and osteoclastic precursors by ex vivo cultures. The fall in plasma 25-dihydroxyvitamin [25(OH)D] in the 0D pigs indicated severe depletion of their vitamin D stores. However, they remained normocalcemic, were mildly hyperparathyroid after 2 months of vitamin D deprivation, and showed only a slight decrease in plasma calcitriol. The bone mineral content and bending moment of metatarsals decreased and they had increased osteoblastic (+59%, p < 0.05 0D vs. controls) and osteoclastic (+31%, p < 0.1 0D vs. controls) surfaces. This was not paralleled by increased bone turnover, because plasma hydroxyproline and ALP were…

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