Summary
Dietary phosphate deprivation in women, but not men, is accompanied by a fall in plasma PO4 and a rise in plasma 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D concentrations. In contrast, young male rats exhibit a fall in plasma PO4 and a rise in plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D concentrations in response to PO4 deprivation. To evaluate whether age and sex influence basal plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D levels and their regulation by PO4 deprivation, plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D, PO4, and Ca levels were measured in male and female rats ranging in age from 6 weeks to 6 months while they were eating normal or low PO4 diets for 1 to 16 days. Similar observations were also made in 6-week-old castrated male and female rats, males replaced with testosterone, and females replaced with estradiol. Basal plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D levels were higher in 6-week-old males (228±76 pmol/l) than in 6-week-old females (148±62 pmol/l;P<0.01) and declined by age 11 weeks to stable levels averaging about 100 pmol/l without sex difference. Dietary PO4 deprivation resulted in a three-to fourfold increase in plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D concentrations regardless of age and sex, accompanied by a correlated rise in serum Ca concentrations. Castration of 6-week-old males and females eliminated the sex difference in basal plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D levels and appeared to enhance the elevation of plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D concentrations in response to PO4 deprivation in females. Although gonadal hormones may modify basal plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D levels, they are not required for the augmentation of plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D levels in response to PO4 deprivation.
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Gray, R.W. Effects of age and sex on the regulation of plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D by phosphorus in the rat. Calcif Tissue Int 33, 477–484 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02409477
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02409477