Calcium Balance Flashcards
Functions of Calcium
- Structure
- muscle contract
- vesicle release (neurotransmitter)
- blood clotting
How is body calclium stored?
most stored in bone as hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)(OH)2
What cells participate in bone remodelling?
- Osteoblasts → bone depostion via addition of Ca2+ to bone
- osteoclasts → bone resorption via release of Ca2+ from bone into blood
What three hormones control plasma Ca2+ levels
- Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
- Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol)
- Calcitonin
What are the target sites for the hormones which control plasma Ca2+?
- Bones → blood Ca added or removed
- Kidneys → Adds or removes Ca from the blood
- Digestive tract → stimulates greater absorption of Ca
What stimulates and releases PTH?
- stimulated: by low plasma calcium concentrations
- site of secretion: released from the chief cells of the parathyroid gland
PTH effects?
Overall effect: Increases plasma calcium concentration
Bones (direct)
- Stimulates bone resorption (promotes the breakdown of bone)
Kidneys (direct)
- Increases calcium reabsorption (ascending limb & distal tubule)
- Decreases phosphate reabsorption
GI (indirect)
- Stimulates synthesis of calcitriol, which leads to increased absorption of calcium in digestive tract (indirect effect in GI)
PTH diseases
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hypoparathyroidism
Causes of hyperparathyroidism
Excess secretion of PTH
Causes:
- Tumours or hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands (primary)
- related to thyroid itself → hyperplasia of chief cells, malignant carcinoma of thyroid gland
- Vitamin D3 deficiency or chronic kidney disease (secondary)
Causes of hypoparathyroidism
Inadequate secretion of PTH resulting in low blood Ca levels
Causes:
- Trauma to parathyroid glands
- Autoimmune damage to parathyroid gland
- Congenital malformation of parathyroid glands
- * If low blood [Ca2+] but high [PTH]: PTH resistance (inability for receptor to recognize it.
- pseudohypoparathyroidism
- * If low blood [Ca2+] but high [PTH]: PTH resistance (inability for receptor to recognize it.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism
- Non-specific complaints of “not feeling well”
- Abdominal pain, constipation, indigestion, nausea and vomiting
- Deposition of calcium-based salts e.g. kidney stones
- Bones may become painful and subject to fracture
- osteidis procistica which is bone being prefaced with fibrous tissues and cyst like structure
- Psychiatric symptoms: lethargy, fatigue, depression, and memory problems
- Hypertension and heart palpitations
- may lead to cardiac arrythmias
Symptoms of Hypoparathyroidism
Neuromuscular hyperexcitability
- Neural effects: confusion, memory loss, delirium, depression, and hallucinations and seizures
- Muscle effects: tingling (often in the lips, tongue, fingers, and feet), muscle aches, spasms of the muscles in the throat (leading to difficulty breathing), stiffening and spasms of muscles (tetany) and abnormal heart rhythms
Why does hypo thyroidism cause hyper excitability?
with a steady decline in Ca levels there is an increase membrane permeability to Na and generates more APs in muscles. Ca is required for relaxation so in presence of low Ca it will still be released but not pump it back at the same rate.
Summary process flow of PTH
Effects of calcitrol
Overall effect: Increases plasma calcium concentration
Digestive Tract (direct)
- Increases calcium absorption from food we eat
Kidney
- Increases calcium reabsorption