Calcium Flashcards
What are the difference forms of calcium found in the blood
45% = Protein bound (e.g. albumin)
45% = Free ionised Ca2+ - This is physiologically active!!!
10% = Complexed (e.g. phosphate, glucose)
what is the total plasma calcium amount
what is the free ionised calcium amount
Total Plasma Calcium: 2.2 – 2.6 mmol/l
Free ionised Calcium: 1.15 – 1.3 mmol/l
where is 99% of body calcium
99% of body calcium is in the bone
how much bone calcium is exchangeable with extracellular fluid calcium
99% of bone calcium is in the crystal structure
1% of bone calcium is exchangeable with extracellular fluid calcium
describe what happens to total amount so calcium in acidosis and alkalosis
Acidosis
- there is increased levels o free levels of ionised calcium (Ca2+) in the blood this is because calcium and hydrogen ions are completing for the same site in albumin and there are more hydrogen ions present in acidosis
alkalosis
- ionised calcium (Ca2+) is decreased there is more calcium bound to albumin as there is a decrease in the amount of hydrogen ions and more calcium present
what is low calcium bad for
nervous tissue
What are the 2 forms of vitamin D
2 important forms:
- Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) obtained from plants in diet
- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) produced by skin after UV light exposure and
obtained from fish, eggs, milk
Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are both …
Both are prehormones that are converted to active form in body
the amount of calcium inside the cell is…
greater than the amount of calcium outside the cell therefore it is an important intracellular signalling molecule
what are the functions of Functions of Calcitriol (1,25 dihydroxy-vitamin
D3)
Increases dietary calcium absorption in intestine
- Upregulates synthesis of TRPV6, Calbindin & PMCA
Increases phosphate absorption from gut
Stimulates bone resorption and remodelling
Only actions of calcitriol increase total body calcium
what does hypocalciemia cause in the heart
causes tachyarrhythmia if calcium falls
why does calcium cause arrhythmia
Sodium ion channels are the right size for calcium ions to block them
- so if there is a large amount of calcium present they block the entry of sodium ion channels and prevent depolarisation of cardiomyocytes
- this slows down the heart rate
- if you have hypercalciemia this can cause bradycardia
- but if you have hypocalcemia then this can cause the reduction in the threshold for action potentials to fire as more sodium ions are entering thus this can cause tachyarrhytmia
Name some effects of hypocalcemia
- tacyarrhythmia
- tetany
how can calcium cause constipation
- if calcium rises outside the cell then this can cause blockage of sodium channels thus muscle in the gut fails to depolarise and this can lead to constipation as peristalsis slows down
what forms does phosphate come in
- 85% of body phosphate is mineralised in bone
* Serum phosphate is almost all ionised
what is phosphate important in
- it has roles in the formation of protein
- hypophosphatemia present with imapriemnt of organ function
What and where are the parathyroid glands
Parathyroid glands are 4 small oval shaped glands posterior to thyroid
what is parathyroid hormone produced by
PTH is produced by Chief cells in the parathyroid gland
What is parathyroid hormone stimulated and inhibited by
Stimulated by:
- ↓serum calcium
- mild decreases in Mg
- phosphate
Inhibited by:
- ↑serum calcium
- calcitriol
- severe decreases in Mg
- Cinacalcet (calcimimetic)
what regulates parathyroid hormone secretion
The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR)
what does the calcium sensing receptor do
- regulate parathyroid hormone secretion
where is the calcium sensing receptor
Parathyroid gland and renal tubules
what are the effects of the calcium sensing receptor
Effects:
- increases intracellular Ca2+
- inhibits exocytosis of PTH
- degrades stored PTH
- inhibits PTH production
- activates PLC to block stimulation of cAMP
what does a mutation in the calcium sensing receptor result in
Mutations: Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH)
What does PTH do
- Kidney: decreases calcium excretion and increases phosphate excretion
- Bone: increases calcium and phosphate resorption
- Intestine: increases absorption of calcium and phosphate; does this by a reaction with 1,25-hydroxyl vitamin D it causes you to absorb calcium from the gut
this is all in order to increase the amount of ECF calcium
what cells is the parathyroid gland made up of
oxyphilic cells - appear at the onset of puberty
chief cells
what is a clinical use of oxyphilic cells
- when the parathyroid gland is overactive they take up technetium-sestamibi which is a stain
- after 15 minutes it will show the outline of the thyroid gland but after 2 hours of use it will show up the parathyroid adenoma uptake
how is parathyroid hormone synthesised
- PreproPTH then the rough ER converts it to ProPTH
- proPTH then the golgi converts it to PTH
- PTH then secreted into vesicles
what is parathyroid hormone secreted as
Secreted intact as PTH 1-84
what is parathyroid hormone metabolised by and what is its half life
extensively metabolised by the liver and kidney and has a circulation half life of only 2 minutes
what is the active portion of PTH
Active portion of PTH is at the N-terminal, although a number of inactive C-terminal fragments are also secreted as a result of storage in vesicles along with proteolytic enzymes such as cathepsin B
why type of receptor is the calcium sensing receptor
it is a G protein receptor
why does the bone decrease calcium excretion and increase phosphate exercise
- this is because you cannot release calcium from the bone without releasign phosphate as well
- but therefore even if phosphate is normal this will cause a high amount of phosphate to be produced
- calcium returns to normal
- therefore the kidney excretes the excess phosphate
what is the quickest way to release calcium
from the bone
how much is each part fo the kidney responsible for calcium reasborption
Proximal tubule
- Responsible for 65% of calcium reabsorption
loop of Henle
• 20% reabsorption
how does the proximal convoluted tubule reabsorb calcium
- paracellularly
- PTH independent
- driven by voltage gradient