A potential kidney - bone axis involved in the rapid minute-to-minute regulation of plasma Ca ²⁺

Abstract

Background

Understanding the regulation of mineral homeostasis and function of the skeleton as buffer for Calcium and Phosphate has regained new interest with introduction of the syndrome “Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder”(CKD-MBD). The very rapid minute-to-minute regulation of plasma-Ca ²⁺ (p-Ca ²⁺) takes place via an exchange mechanism of Ca ²⁺ between plasma and bone. A labile Ca storage pool exists on bone surfaces storing excess or supplying Ca when blood Ca is lowered. Aim was to examine minute-to-minute regulation of p-Ca ²⁺ in the very early phase of acute uremia, as induced by total bilateral nephrectomy and to study the effect of absence of kidneys on the rapid recovery of p-Ca ²⁺ from a brief induction of acute hypocalcemia.

Methods

The rapid regulation of p-Ca ²⁺ was examined in sham-operated rats, acute nephrectomized rats(NX), acute thyroparathyrectomized(TPTX) rats and NX-TPTX rats.

Results

The results clearly showed that p-Ca ^{2 +} falls rapidly and significantly very early after acute NX, from 1.23 ± 0.02 to 1.06 ± 0.04 mM (p < 0.001). Further hypocalcemia was induced by a 30 min iv infusion of EGTA. Control groups had saline. After discontinuing EGTA a rapid increase in p-Ca ²⁺ took place, but with a lower level in NX rats (p < 0.05). NX-TPTX model excluded potential effect of accumulation of Calcitonin and C-terminal PTH, both having potential hypocalcemic actions. Acute TPTX resulted in hypercalcemia, 1.44 ± 0.02 mM and less in NX-TPTX rats,1.41 ± 0.02 mM (p < 0.05). Recovery of p-Ca ²⁺ from hypocalcemia resulted in lower levels in NX-TPTX than in TPTX rats, 1.20 ± 0.02 vs.1.30 ± 0.02 (p < 0.05) demonstrating that absence of kidneys significantly affected the rapid regulation of p-Ca ²⁺ independent of PTH, C-PTH and CT.

Conclusions

P-Ca ²⁺ on a minute-to-minute basis is influenced by presence of kidneys. Hypocalcemia developed rapidly in acute uremia. Levels of p-Ca ²⁺, obtained during recovery from hypocalcemia resulted in lower levels in acutely nephrectomized rats. This indicates that kidneys are of significant importance for the ‘set-point’ of p-Ca ²⁺ on bone surface, independently of PTH and calcitonin. Our results point toward existence of an as yet unknown factor/mechanism, which mediates the axis between kidney and bone, and which is involved in the very rapid regulation of p-Ca ²⁺.