Calcium metabolism in young rats during early dietary phosphate deprivation

A series of in vivo experiments were designed to study the early effects of phosphate depletion on calcium metabolism in young adult (8-10 week old) rats with intact thyroid--parathyroid glands. Hypercalciuria occurred within 24 h of dietary phosphate deprivation. It was the consequence of mobilization of calcium stores from the exchangeable calcium pool of the diaphysis of bone. Increased net intestinal absorption of calcium also occurred early. This was at least in part due to decreased net intestinal secretion of calcium into the gut lumen. Thus the early onset of hypercalciuria and hypercalcemia associated with Pi deprivation in normal growing young rats is the combined result of increased net intestinal calcium absorption and increased calcium mobilization from bone.