Severe hyperparathyroidism with bone abnormalities and metastatic calcification in rats with adenine-induced uraemia

Marked parathyroid hyperplasia with bone diseases and vascular calcification are unsolved issues in dialysis patients. In this study, we made azotemic model rats by adenine feeding and analyzed the development and progression of the abnormalities.

Renal failure was induced in 8-week-old male Wistar rats by feeding 0.75% adenine-containing diet for 6 weeks. Serum parameters, parathyroid hyperplasia, bone changes and metastatic calcification were examined at 2, 4 and 6 weeks.

Progressive increase of serum creatinine and inorganic phosphate, and decreased levels of serum calcium and 1,25(OH)2D3 were confirmed. Markedly enlarged parathyroid glands and extremely high PTH levels were observed in all adenine-fed rats compared with the control (PTH: 199.3+/-58.0 vs 10.5+/-3.0 pmol/l, P<0.01, respectively, at 6 weeks). In cortical bone of the femur, the morphometric parameters showed increased bone resorption with increased fibrosis, whereas in the trabecular bone, bone resorption decreased and bone volume increased with a larger amount of osteoid compared with the control. Metastatic calcification in aorta, coronary artery and other soft tissues were also found in adenine-fed rats.

Uraemic rats made by adenine diet developed severe abnormalities of calcium metabolism in a relatively short period and therefore they may serve as a useful model for the analysis of parathyroid hyperplasia and vascular calcification in chronic renal failure.