Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Analysis of Electrocardiograms and Behavior in Mice from Pregnancy to Lactation Period
Published on: April 5, 2024
[Calcium homeostasis in pregnancy and lactation]
Jolanta Jurczyńska1, Wojciech Zieleniewski, Jolanta Kunert-Radek
1Klinika Endokrynologii Instytutu Endokrynologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego, Lodzi.
Abstract:
The daily required dose of calcium is greatly increased during pregnancy. It is caused by the transition of about 30 g to the fetus and by enhanced urinary excretion. The normal calcium homeostasis is maintained by parathormone (PTH), calcitriol and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP). The concentration of calcitriol is augmented as well as the absorptive surface of the gut. PTHrP is involved in the regulation of placental calcium transport and also in lactation and initiation of labor. Bone turnover is enhanced during pregnancy and sometimes may evoke osteoporosis, especially in bones which form the hip joint. After delivery, in some cases osteoporosis may be found in vertebral column, whilst during lactation in long bones. The role of heparin in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is also mentioned.
Related Concept Videos
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Bone Remodeling
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...

