Studies on osteoporosis VI. Effect of human and salmon calcitonin on experimental osteoporosis.

Neutron activation analysis was employed to determine total body calcium in C3H/St (Ha) female mice. Ninty-nine percent of total body calcium is in bone and loss of calcium was used as an index of osteoporosis. Heparin (500 U/kg B.I.D.) treatment for three months resulted in significant osteoporosis. Both human and salmon calcitonin (4 MRC U/Kg B.I.D.) prevented heparin induced osteoporosis. The results suggest that calcitonin may prevent pathological fractures in patients on anticoagulants and other osteoporosis inducing regimens.