Regulation of Calcium and Phosphate Flashcards
What is the most abundant metal in the body?
calcium
How is calcium distributed in the body?
99% resides in skeleton and teeth as calcium hydroxyapatite crystals
Extracellular calcium (tiny amount of total body calcium) is tightly regulated
‘Unbound’ ionised calcium = biologically active component
What is extracellular calcium?
In plasma
- ionised Ca (45%)
- Bound Ca2+
Bound Ca2+= Plasma proteins (45%) or anions (bicarbonate, phosphate, lactate)
What increases serum calcium and phosphate and what do they act on?
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) (secreted by parathyroid glands)
Vitamin D
Synthesised in skin or intake via diet
Main regulators of calcium & phosphate homeostasis via actions on kidney, bone and gut
What decreases serum calcium and phosphate?
Calcitonin (secreted by thyroid parafollicular cells)
- Can reduce calcium acutely, but no negative effect if parafollicular cells are removed eg thyroidectomy
What are sources of vitamin D?
D2= ergocalciferol derived from UV irradiation of plants
D3= cholecalciferol derived from UV irradiation of skin (animals and humans) and certain foods (oily fish, egg yolks)
Describe vitamin D metabolism.
What is the active form of vitamin D called?
calcitriol
How does the sun make vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)?
7-dehydrocholesterol
-> pre-vitamin D3
-> cholecalciferol (D3)
How does 1,25(OH)2 cholecalciferol regulate its own synthesis?
by decreasing transcription of 1 alpha- hydroxylase
What is the major role of calcitriol?
Increase Ca2+ and PO4(3-) reabsorption from the GUT
What is the effect of calcitriol in 3 major parts of the body?
Gut= increase Ca2+ and PO4(3-) reabsorption from the gut
kidney= increase Ca2+ and PO4 reabsorption
bone= increase Ca2+ reabsorption
Overall= Increase Ca2+ in blood
What is calcitriol?
1,25(OH)2 cholecalciferol (active form of vitamin D)
What secretes parathyroid hormone?
Chief cells in the parathyroid glands
How is parathyroid hormone secreted?
Secreted as a large precursor (pre-pro-PTH) & cleaved to PTH
What triggers parathyroid hormone secretion?
G-protein coupled calcium sensing receptor on chief cells detects change in circulating calcium concentration
PTH secretion inversely proportional to serum calcium (aka if Ca is low PTH is up)
How do the calcium sensing receptors work?
When serum calcium increases, what happens to parathyroid hormone (PTH)?
It decreases
What are the actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on 3 parts of the body?
Gut bone and kidney
Overall increased plasma Ca2+
Most of the time PO4 loss is greater than absorption, so overall PO4 is lost
How does PTh affect bone strength?
It decreases as Ca2+ is released