Calcitonin secretion in rats with inflammation mediated osteopenia.

The authors followed up the occurrence of inflammation-mediated osteopenia (IMO) in young and adult rats weighing 50 g and 150 g, respectively. The calcemia, the amount of bone calcium and the calcitonin content of the thyroid gland were determined. Calcium loss from bones was similar in both groups, irrespective of age. However, in the young animals a significant rise of calcitonin content of the thyroid gland was found (11.08 ng/ml as compared with 3.81 ng/ml in the controls). In adult animals with IMO the level of calcitonin in the thyroid gland showed no change as compared with the controls. Calcitonin reactive hypersecretion in the young animals was not able to prevent the development of IMO, characterized by an important loss of bone calcium.