A new technique for measuring intestinal calcium absorption in the rat.

A double-isotope technique that does not necessitate urine and fecal collections but requires only the extraction of the incisor teeth for isotopic analysis has been devised. A precalibrated dose of 45Ca in solution with stable carrier calcium is administered to the rat orally. An intraperitoneal injection delivers a precalibrated dose of 47Ca in isotonic saline. The ratio of the percentage uptake of the two radionuclides in the incisor tooth is equal to the fraction of the 45Ca and, therefore, the calcium absorbed by the gut. The fraction of calcium absorbed by 5-mo-old rats, as determined by collection and measurement of excreta, was found to be 39.1%. The ratio of uptake of the two calcium radionuclides in the incisor teeth yields an absorption measurement of 38.8%, nonsignificantly different from the value obtained from the excretion data. The measurement of radiocalcium uptake in the incisor tooth affords one an accurate in vivo determination of intestinal calcium absorption without the collection of excreta or multiple blood sampling.