Changes in calcium, PTH and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 during tail-suspension in ovariectomized rats: effects of estrogen administration.

It is well known that estrogen deficiency results in osteoporosis in human and experimental animals. However, how its deficiency affects the development of disuse atrophy is not well understood. We thus investigated how estrogen deficiency caused by ovariectomy and estrogen supplements affect serum levels of calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) in tail-suspended rats. Five-week-old female Wistar rats were ovariectomized and divided into two groups. One group received an intramuscular injection of estradiol dipropionate once a week (OVX-E2 group), and the other received the vehicle alone (OVX group). After the third injection, the rats were subjected to tail-suspension in metabolic cages for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. In the OVX group, urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) tended to increase on day 1 after tail-suspension. In the OVX-E2 group, basal excretion was lower than that in the OVX group, and no increase was observed after the suspension. Serum concentrations of ionized calcium significantly increased on day 1 after the suspension in both groups. However, in the OVX-E2 group, the level tended to be higher than those in the OVX group from day 0 to day 3. Serum PTH tended to decrease on day 1 after suspension in the OVX group. In the OVX-E2 group, it did not change during the suspension, but the levels were higher than those in the OVX group during the experiment. Serum 1,25(OH)2D3 transiently and significantly increased on day 1 after suspension in both groups. However, in the OVX group, the level was significantly higher than that in the OVX-E2 group. These data indicate that estrogen treatment of ovariectomized rats modifies the changes in calcium metabolism induced by tail-suspension.