Ca Metabolism Flashcards
What 3 hormones are responsible for Ca metabolism?
PTH, calcitonin, calcitriol (active vitamin D)
Describe what happens when low blood Ca is detected.
PTH is secreted in the blood
In response to PTH:
Osteoclasts resorb bone tissue
Kidneys retain Ca2+ and promote activation of vitamin D to calcitriol
Calcitriol promotes Ca absorption in small intestine
Ca rises in the blood as tissues respond to PTH
Describe what happens when high blood calcium is detected.
The thyroid gland releases calcitonin
Calcitonin stimulates Ca deposition in bone for storage
Kidneys reduce their uptake
Ca blood levels drop
What is rickets?
softening and bending of bone in children
What active ingredient is responsible for rickets? How can the issue be solved?
vitamin D deficiency, so not enough Ca absorption in the gut
fish liver oil, sun exposure, UV irradiation of certain foods
True or False. After bone, the majority of body calcium is circulating in the extracellular space.
False, intracellular
True or False. Hyperventilating can affect Ca equilibrium.
True.
What roles does calcium have in the body.
nervous cell excitability
structural component of skeleton
blood clotting
enzyme activity regulation
excitability of membrane (neurotransmitter action, exocytosis
second messager system
muscle contraction (Ca release from sarcoplastic reticulum)
In what 3 ways does Ca circulate in the blood?
Bound to albumin (50%)
Complexed to citrate (8%)
non-complexed (free) ionized Ca++ (42%)
Which of the 3 forms of Ca circulating in the blood is the most important?
free ionized Ca because it is most readily available, this is the only one that is regulated by hormones.
the other forms (bound to albumin, complexed) are inert and not regulated by hormones
How can hyperventilation lead to tetany?
hyperventilation reduces the CO2 partial pressure. This means less H2CO2 is produced. This leads to less H+ in the blood –> alkalosis
To compensate, serum proteins release H+, the negative charge proteins bind free Ca++. No calcium available –> spasm of skeletal muscle (tetany)
True or False. The body works to maintain a Ca gradient to drive biological processes using ATP dependent Ca pumps.
True
Which cells produce PTH?
chief cells and oxyphil cells in response to low levels of ionized Ca in ECF
Which cells produce calcitonin?
parafollicular or C-cells
What receptor binds to ECF Ca++? What is the intracellular response on teh production of PTH in response to high levels of Ca++?
calcium sensing receptor
inhibition of PTH secretion
True or False? PTH is a highly conserved hormone with a medium half life of 50 minutes.
False. highly conserved with a short half life of 2-4 minutes.
PTH is cleaved into 2 non active fragments, what are they?
amino terminus and carboxy terminus
Considering that PTH is kept cleaved to avoid degradation, how can we measure the levels of bioactive PTH?
immunoassay with 2 antibodies where we can see if the 2 Ab are attached (1 for each half) and close to eachother
In one serious condition, fragments of PTH can accumulate. What is this condition?
renal failure
What type of receptor is the Ca sensing receptor on the parathyroid? What is the conformation of the receptor dependent on?
G protein coupled receptor, the conformation is dependent on the concentration of calcium
How does calcium levels in the blood affect the production of cAMP in the cell?
high Ca –> decreased cAMP, increased IP3
low Ca –> increased cAMP, decreased IP3
What are the 2 signal transduction pathways for the chief cell Ca receptor and what effect do they have on PTH secretion?
phospholipase C –> less Ionositol triphosphate (IP3) –> more PTH release
adenylyl cyclase –> less cAMP –> less PTH
PTH affect which 3 tissues for Ca metabolism and how?
bone: resorption by stimulating osteoclasts
kidneys: renal resorption
intestine: indirectly through vitamin D active form calcium absorption
Serum levels of osteocalcin is an indicator of what?
bone growth
Although small in quantity (% bone protein), osteocalcin has an important role, what is it?
bone matrix can build itself on it 1:17
What are the functions of osteonectin?
binds collagen and hydroxyapatite
may serve as nucleator for Ca deposition
Describe the formation of bone from original stem cells of osteoblasts.
some mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into osteoprogenitor cells on bone surface.
These become osteoblasts which secrete collagen and proteins to form matrix called osteoid
The osteoid gets mineralized by deposition of hydroxyapatite in 2 stages.
The trapped osteoblasts differentiate into osteocytes making a network
What is the name of the interconnected cell network within bone and what cells are connected?
osteoblasts and osteocytes connected through cytoplasmic processes in canaliculi called osteocytic-osteoblastic bone membrane
There are 2 methods of exchange to increase blood Ca, what are they and where does the Ca originate from?
Fast exchange: from bone fluid
Slow exchange: from mineralized bone