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Calcium and Phosphorus Homeostasis in Horses

R. A. ARGENZIO, J. E. LOWE, H. F. HINTZ


ANDH. F. SCHRYVER
Equine Research Program, New Yorfc State Veterinary College,
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850

ABSTRACT A study with horses was undertaken to determine if an abnormal


calcium homeostasis, due to nutritional or hormonal imbalance, would be present fol
lowing induction of either hypo- or hypercalcemia. This response was studied in 12
horses fed diets containing four different ratios of calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P).
Animals fed the high phosphate diet (Ca:P = 0.5) demonstrated an impairment in

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returning serum Ca to normal following Ca infusion but recovered from ethylene-
diaminetetraacetate (EDTA) induced hypocalcemia significantly faster than control
animals (Ca:P=1.2). Thyroidectomized horses showed a significant impairment in
recovering normocalcemia from both a hyper- and hypocalcémieinduction. However,
the responses were completely corrected with thyroxine treatment. The response to Ca
infusion was examined in two ponies during the stage of compensatory adaptation to a
higher level of phosphate (Ca:P = 0.2) than used in the first study. Serum Ca and P
and the Ca tolerance times were acutely affected and only began to return towards
normal after the ponies had been fed the diet for 6 weeks. Biopsies taken from the
frontal bone indicated increased osteoblastic and osteolytic activity, suggesting an in
creased bone turnover. It is suggested that Ca infusion studies may be useful in estab
lishing a diagnosis of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH) in horses.
Possible roles of the thyroid and parathyroid gland in NSH are discussed. J. Nutr.
104: 18-27, 1974.
INDEXING KEY WORDS bone turnover •parathyroid hyperplasia •com
pensation •nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism

Imbalance of the dietary Ca:P ratio with procedure cannot always be done routinely
diets high in P and/or low in Ca have been because total (24-hour) urinary collections
shown to induce parathyroid hypertrophy should be obtained.
and hyperplasia accompanied by increased The purpose of the present study was to
bone résorption (1, 2). This metabolic determine if high calcium or high phos
bone disease known as nutritional sec phorus feeding resulted in abnormal re
ondary hyperparathyroidism ( NSH ) occurs sponses to hyper- or hypocalcemia induced
in horses fed high levels of grain without by intravenous Ca or EDTA infusions.
Ca supplementation (2, 3). These responses were further studied and
Because of the nature of compensatory compared in horses which were thyroidec-
adjustments by the metabolic hormones, tomized, as the thyroid hormones are well
the onset of clinical signs is usually slow known to affect Ca homeostasis (4). The
to occur, while anatomical lesions may thyroid glands in the horse are distinctly
already be well established (2). Further separate from the lower parathyroids (2),
more, the efficiency by which the serum Ca which enables us to use this animal in
and P are regulated makes it difficult to studying the effect of complete thyroid re
assess the nutritional status with conven moval without damage to the lower para
tional blood chemistry analysis. Although thyroids or their blood supply.
urinary PO* determinations appear to be
useful in establishing a diagnosis (3), this Received for publication January 2, 1973.
18

. .ÕÀ
CA AND P IN KOKSES 19
TABLE 1
Ingredients and composition of experimental diets
high
IngredientHay, Ca332620251 High
P% P3329202__12 P3446122_510.41.90.2

timothyCora1Soybean 332420251
meal1MolassesLimestoneDicalcium

phosphate
Monosodium phosphate 2
Trace
saltÇa"PCa:PBasal3331202_1
mineralized 10.7O.C1.2High
12.80.64.7HighCa
12.71.12.5High
10.71.40.5Extra

1The soybean meal content of the diets was decreased to 12% when the horses were 12 months old. The corn content was in

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creased accordingly. The protein content of the diets was then 12%. ¡Percentage of 90% dry matter feed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Calcium tolerance tests were conducted


Twelve horses (2 years of age) were by a jugular vein infusion of a 20% solu
used to study the effect of a long-term di tion of Ca gluconate at the rate of 1.8 mg
etary treatment on Ca homeostasis. The ex Ca/kg/minute during a 10-minute period.
Blood samples were taken at 15-minute in
perimental diets (table 1) had been fed
to the animals for 18 months. In a second tervals for 2.5 hours postinfusion by jugular
series of experiments, two mature ponies vein catheter. The samples were allowed to
(5 years of age) were used in a short-term clot and were then centrifuged; the serum
study to evaluate the response to induced was removed and frozen for subsequent
hypercalcemia during the period of com analysis.
pensatory adaptation to an experimental Hypocalcemia was induced by intra
extra high phosphate (XHiP) diet (table venous infusion of a 4% solution of EDTA
1). Animals were fed the rations twice a over a 30-minute period at the rate of 2.16
day and were housed in an open barn with mg EDTA/kg/minute. Blood samples were
free access to water. Experiments were al collected at intervals from the contralateral
ways conducted after the morning meal. jugular vein for a period of 6 hours and
Calcium infusion experiments were also treated as described above.
conducted on six stallions and six mares A 10-day balance trial was conducted
( 2 years of age ). Three animals of each sex with the two ponies after they had been
were thyroidectomized at least 6 months fed the XHiP ration (Ca:P = 0.2) for two
prior to the experiment. Two additional weeks. Feed, urinary and fecal samples
horses (2 years of age) and one pony (4 were analyzed for Ca by atomic absorption
years of age), thyroidectomized 6 months spectrophotometry and for P by an auto-
analyzer method.2 Biopsies of the frontal
previously, were used for both Ca and
EDTA infusion experiments before and bone were taken under local anesthesia at
after thyroxine replacement. Total thy- 4 and 11 weeks for histological observa
roidectomy was confirmed by measuring tions. The sections were stained with hema-
serum thyroxine levels by competitive pro toxylin and eosin, and toluidine blue. Sec
tein binding (5). These animals were fed a tions from two mature ponies fed the con
commercial, pelleted hay-grain ration* con trol commercial diet were taken under
taining 0.6% Ca and 0.5% P. Synthetic identical conditions for comparison.
L-thyroxine was administered intravenously Serum Ca and inorganic P were analyzed
to the two horses and pony daily at the by an autoanalyzer method. Although this
rate of 4 jug/100 kg. This dosage was found
1 Choice. Agway, Inc., Syracuse, N. T.
to produce normal T4 levels for horses of 2 2 Technlcon AutoAnalyzer, Technlcon Corp., Tarry-
to 4 jag/100 ml (6). town, N. T.
20 ARGENZIO, LOWE, HINTZ AND SCHRYVER

TABLE 2
Effect of diet on serum calcium and phosphorus levels and calcium tolerance times
change
serum serum in serum P
treatmentBasal
Dietary animals3 Camg/100 Pmg/100 tolerancemin86.0i afterinfusionma/100
Ca

ml12.70iO.16"- ml4.30Ì0.13"3.63Ì0.14"3.93Ì0.34" ml+0.14Ì0.14»


l12.20i0.25b12.70iO.16" 6.9"
High calcium 333Basal 66.8Ì
6.2"76.9 +0.02Ì0.07"+0.12Ì0.06"
High calcium
High phosphorus i 7.9»
High
phosphorusLevel 13.13iO.ll"<0.01Basal
5.11i0.35b<0.01Ca131il6.8b<0.05Mean4-0.01iO.03">0.05
of significanceNo.
1 Values are mean ±SE.Basal serum Ca and P determinations were made at weekly intervals for 3 weeks after the morning
feeding. Ca tolerance time is the time required for serum Ca to return to within 1 mg/100 ml of the preinjection level. Values with
different superscripts in comparable columns are significantly different at the level indicated. The composition of the diets is as given
in table 1.

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method measures total Ca, the renal clear preinjection values was calculated (toler
ance of Ca-EDTA is rapid (7) and would ance time) by integration of the Ca incre
therefore lower total serum Ca. However, ment over time. This procedure allowed a
the initial Ca values reported following more accurate and useful comparison
EDTA infusion would be higher than the among animals than the usual reference to
level of ionized Ca in the blood. For this "half-times."
reason, statistical comparisons were limited An analysis of variance was used to com
to samples taken 2 hours postinfusion and pare treatment means (8).
should indicate relative recovery rates be
tween groups of animals. RESULTS
Plasma Ca clearance was analyzed by Results of the Ca infusion studies in
plotting the Ca increment against time on horses fed the high phosphate ration dem
semilogarithmic coordinates. The Ca incre onstrated a significant impairment ( P <
ment was defined as Ca(t) —Ca(0), where 0.05) in returning serum Ca to normal
Ca(t) is the plasma Ca concentration at (table 2). No additional significant effect
time t and Ca«» denotes the preinjection was noted in the horses fed higher levels of
plasma Ca concentration. The plasma Ca Ca; however, the tolerance time tended to
clearance data obtained from thyroidec- decrease as the Ca:P ratio in the diet in
tomized horses were described as the sum creased.
of two exponential terms, whereas control It may also be seen from table 2 that
data followed a single exponential decline. basal serum Ca levels in animals fed the
Therefore, in an attempt to make compari experimental diets were inversely propor
sons among animals, the time required for tional to the Ca:P dietary ratio. For ex
plasma Ca to return to 1 mg/100 ml above ample, serum Ca in animals fed the high

TABLE 3
Effect of thyroidectomy on serum calcium and phosphorus levels
and calcium tolerance times
serum serum
TreatmentThyroidectomy animalsG Camg/100 Pmg/100

ml12.10iO.33-- ml3.66Ì0.21"
' Ì23.7»
ControlLevel 6Basal 11.40i0.26">0.05Basal 63.2i
8.3"<0.005
4.62i0.31b<0.01Catolerancemin173

of significanceNo.
1Values are mean ±SE.Basal serum Ca and P represent preinjection values. Values with different superscripts in comparable
columns are significantly different at the level indicated. Animals were 2-year-old horses fed a commercial pelleted diet containing
0.6% Ca and 0.57»P.

Vii..
CA AND P IN HORSES 21
Ca diet was significantly lower ( P < 0.01 ) 30i +
than that of the control group. Serum PO4,
however, appeared to reflect the dietary +7C£
level more closely than serum Ca. Animals
fed the high phosphate diet demonstrated
significantly higher serum PO4 concentra +10
tions than the control group ( P < 0.01 ). Ó.".S

Thyroidectomy also markedly increased


the Ca tolerance time (table 3). The effect
in these animals was more pronounced than
in the high phosphate group, and the toler -'of.,W—30•"--\iIT/••SJ\1ri.•v1
ance time increased threefold over the con
trol group (P < 0.005). Furthermore, a CONTROLro

marked increase in serum inorganic PO4


concentration was noted after Ca infusion
in the thyroidectomized horses, whereas a

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!>"hi-(,^<30 t
decrease was observed in the controls , 60
1TIME 90 120
(fig. 1). However, the serum phosphate (min)TX11
changes observed following Ca infusion in Fig. l Serum phosphate changes following the
animals fed the experimental diets were intravenous infusion of Ca gluconate in control
highly variable and nonsignificant (table and thyroidectomized (Tx) horses. Values repre
2). Mean serum phosphate changes re sent the mean ±SE change in serum PCX from six
corded for these animals was + 0.07 ±0.03 animals on each treatment. The changes in serum
PO»between control and Tx horses were signifi
mg/100 ml. cantly different at the 0.5% level.
Since the impaired Ca and P homeostasis
in the thyroidectomized group could be
due to the absence of either thyroxine or mais after Ca infusion. Serum PO4 again
calcitonin, further studies were conducted showed a mean increase of 0.20 ±0.04
in three thyroidectomized horses with re mg/100 ml.
placed thyroxine. The results of these stud The effect of the XHiP diet on Ca and
ies, shown in table 4, indicate that thyrox P homeostasis was next studied in two ma
ine treatment for 1 week completely re ture ponies during the compensatory period
versed the impaired tolerance to Ca infu of adaptation. The initial serum Ca levels
sion. Subsequent studies after 4 weeks of were only depressed by 20% but an in
treatment showed no further change in dis crease of 350% in serum PO4 was observed
posing of the Ca load. However, thyroxine (fig. 2). An initial impairment in the Ca
treatment had no effect in reversing the tolerance time was noticed in 1 week and
serum PO4 increase observed in these ani- this response continued to a maximum at

TABLE 4
Effect of thyroxine replacement on Ca tolerance times in thyroidectomized horses
No. Ca Mean change in serum P
Treatment animals tolerance after Ca infusion

ml+0.25
ThyroidectomizedThyroidectomized ±24.2«.»73.0± ±0.03«+0.20±0.04»>0.05

wk)Thyroidectomized
plus thyroxine (1 7.8b88.5±

wk)Level
plus thyroxine (4 8.5b<0.005maflOO
of significance333min161
1Values represent mean ±SE.Values with different superscripts in comparable columns are significantly different at the level
indicated. Animals were two mature horses and one pony fed a commercial, pelleted diet containing 0.6% Ca and 0.5% P. Note
that the Ca tolerance time of the thyroidectomized animals is not signißcantlydifferent from the 2-year-old thyroidectomized horses
(table 3). Also, note that the tolerance times with thyroxine present were not significantly different from the control group (table 3).
22 ARGENZIO, LOWE, HINTZ AND SCHRYVER

cated a compensatory adjustment by the


Ci TOI««««
kidney in conservation of Ca and elimina
tion of P.
In an attempt to correlate changes in
blood parameters with metabolic activity
in bone, biopsy sections were taken after 4
and 11 weeks from the frontal bone of the
ponies. These are compared with a section
taken from a mature pony fed the basal
diet (fig. 3). At week 4, many large osteo-
clasts and Howship's lacunae were present
in the biopsy from pony 46 (fig. 4). These
were not evident in pony 19; however, in
Fig. 2 Relative changes in sérumÇaand P tense osteolysis, as demonstrated by meta-
and in Çatolerance times in ponies 19 and 46 chromatic staining around large osteocytes

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after feeding the XHif diet. The zero time refer was present in both animals. Invasion of
ence represents mean values from two determina bone spaces by young fibrous tissue was
tions when the animals were fed the basal diet. evident in both sections and, in addition,
These values for the Ca tolerance time, serum Ca
and serum P were 88 ±3 minutes, 12.9 ±0.1 and rows of large osteoblasts were seen at sur
2.8 ±0.2 mg/100 ml, respectively. During the faces of osteoid. The picture in general ap
first week, Ca tolerance increased to 243 ±18 peared to be one of greater than normal
minutes, serum Ca decreased to 10.2 ±0.2 mg/ activity. The sections taken at week 11 in
100 ml and serum P increased to 6.5 ±0.4 mg/
100 ml. dicated relatively greater activity (fig. 5).
Fibrous tissue invasion was much more
4 weeks and then began to decline (fig. 2). extensive than at 4 weeks and osteoblastic
A compensatory increase in serum Ca did proliferation was dominant at bone sur
not occur by week 11. However, at this faces. No osteoclasts were seen in these
time one of the ponies refused to eat and sections; however, internal résorptionwas
the experiment was terminated. The ani occurring which can be seen in greater de
mals were then changed to a diet contain tail with polarized light ( fig. 6 ).
ing 0.7% Ca and 0.6% P and blood sam Induction of hypocalcemia by EDTA in
ples taken to evaluate the recompensatory fusion was used as a second criterion in
response. Serum Ca increased to normo- establishing information on Ca homeostatic
calcemic values. A marked decrease in mechanisms. Figure 7 compares changes in
serum PO4 was observed, which continued serum Ca which were observed for 6 hours
for 2 weeks, at which time it began to in following EDTA infusion in horses fed the
crease towards normal. high phosphate or basal diet. Statistical
Results of the balance trial conducted comparisons were made between serum Ca
after the ponies had been fed the XHiP values during the period of 2 to 6 hours
diet for two weeks indicated that the ani after EDTA infusion, because the first 2
mals were in a negative Ca but positive P hours of induction and recovery from hypo
balance (table 5). The marked difference calcemia are complicated by rapidly ex
in the urinary excretion of Ca and P indi changing Ca pools and by renal Ca excre-

TABLE 5
Calcium and phosphorus balance in ponies fed a high phosphorus diet
Pony
no.19 (kg)223 Urine1Ca4.31 Fèces1 absorptionCa-0.16 levelsCa11.1serum

Ca20.3 Ga4.89
4.47 0.50 ±0.34
219Intake1
46Weight 4.26P 20.0 4.20P 4.66 0.47P6.59
6.80Apparent1
0.06P15.4 -0.41P8.82
15.3Retained1Ca-0.6611.8±0.24P6.88±0.32
8.54Mean1 9.80±0.32
1g/day/100 kg. »
mg/100 ml.
ÇAAND P IN HORSES 23

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Fig. 3 Frontal bone, periosteal area at top, from control pony fed the basal diet ( 0.6% Ca,
0.5% P). Osteocytic osteolysis, evidenced by enlarged and rounded osteocytes (in front of
horizontal arrows), occurs only in a restricted area in center of lamellae at maximal distance
from apposition (vertical arrows) along the surfaces. There is balance between résorption
and apposition with small fibrovascular spaces and densely packed lamellae. H&E, X 120.

Fig. 4 Biopsy from frontal bone of pony 46 after 4 weeks on high PO«diet (HOLE,X 120).
Bone is being dissolved by large multinucleated osteoclasts. Resorption cavity being replaced
by poorly collagenized fibrous tissue.
ARGENZIO, LOWE, HINTZ AND SCHRYVER

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Fig. 5 Frontal bone, periosteal area at top, from pony 46 after 11 weeks on high PO4 diet.
Osteocytic osteolysis, evidenced by enlarged and rounded osteocytes (in front of horizontal
arrows), occurs in a large portion of the diagonal lamella; only in the periphery are the
osteocytes small and elongated. Osteocytic osteolysis is of greater intensity than apposition
(vertical arrows) along the surfaces which therefore recede centrally. The lost bone tissue is
replaced by fibrovascular tissue. In front of oblique arrows there is a cementing line formed
by merging of diffuse basophilia, another criterion of deep-seated internal résorption.
H&E, X 120.

tion. The horses fed the high P:Ca diet portedly increases calcitonin secretion (9)
recovered with significantly higher Ca val and in some cases results in increased bone
ues than the control horses ( P < 0.005 ). density (10). Short-term kinetic studies
The two horses and pony which had been using 47Ca in horses have shown increased
thyroidectomized were also subjected to deposition of Ca in bone when the animals
EDTA infusion studies before and after 2 were fed high levels of Ca (11), whereas
weeks of thyroxine replacement. These high phosphorus feeding resulted in an in
data, shown in figure 8, demonstrate that creased turnover of bone Ca (12). Long-
thyroidectomy prevented a recovery of term studies have demonstrated only slight
normocalcemia during the 6-hour period. changes in body composition in horses fed
They also show that in the presence of high levels of calcium.3 The difference be
thyroxine, the impaired recovery was com tween the short-term kinetics trial and the
pletely reversed (P < 0.005). long-term body composition trial may be
clue to either errors inherent in balance
DISCUSSION trials or adaptive mechanisms in the horse,
Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroid- or both. Nevertheless, it would be antici
ism (NSH) has been attributed to high pated that Ca and P homeostasis, as dem
phosphorus feeding which secondarily re onstrated by induction of a hyper- or hypo-
sults in a lowering of the serum Ca (2). calcemia, would be at least temporarily up
This effect then stimulates the parathyroid set in response to the dietary treatment.
gland to increase serum Ca by résorptionof «H. F. Schryver, H. F. Hintz. J. B. Lowe, R. L.
the bone and to increase renal PO4 excre Hlntz, R. B. Harper and J. T. Reid. Mineral composi
tion of the whole body, liver and bone of young
tion (4). Conversely, hypercalcemia re horses. Submitted to J. Nutr.
CA AND P IN HORSES 25

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Fig. 6 Same area and magnification as figure 5. Polarized light. Note diffuse résorptionin
central area.

Figure 9 shows a linear increase in the phosphate group. Similar findings were ob
Ca tolerance time, when the data were ex tained in dogs treated with thyroxine (13)
pressed as a function of the P:Ca dietary and it was shown that thyroxine substan
ratio. The response suggests that the P:Ca tially increased the turnover of bone Ca.
ratio of the diet was directly related to the
impairment of Ca homeostasis. High Ca £DMInfusion
feeding did not appear to significantly af
fect the Ca tolerance time; however, exami
nation of figure 9 shows that extrapolation
of the curve to the zero ordinate gives a
minimum tolerance time of 60 minutes.
This minimum value may be the result of
the time the injected Ca is being distrib
uted throughout the exchangeable Ca pool.
For this reason, increased rates of Ca clear
ance or decreased bone Ca removal, which
may have been due to a hypersécrétion of
calcitonin, would not be reflected in the
present analysis. 30 6O 90 120 ISO ISO" 2OO 280 360
Figure 9 also shows the impaired re TIME (min)
sponse due to thyroidectomy. However,
Fig. 7 Serum Ca response to EDTA infusion
thyroxine treatment completely reversed in horses fed the high PO»or the control diet.
the impaired Ca clearance, suggesting that Serum Ca values taken between 2 and 6 hours
an absence or deficiency of calcitonin was show significantly higher (P < 0.005) values for
animals fed the high PO«diet compared with
not responsible for the abnormal response those fed the control diet. Vertical fines repre
in either the thyroidectomized or the high sent SE.
26 ARGENZIO, LOWE, HINTZ AND SCHRYVER

COM Infusion

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30 60 90 120 ISO
r/ME (min)

Fig. 8 Serum Ca response to EDTA infusion in Tx horses and Tx horses with replaced
thyroxine (Tx + T4). Thyroxine treatment significantly increased the ability to recover normo-
calcemia (P < 0.005). Vertical Unes represent SE.

The increase observed in serum phos tomized horses, however, cannot be di


phate following Ca infusion in thyroidec- rectly attributed to thyroxine and directs
attention to a possible role of calcitonin in
200-1 phosphate homeostasis. The discrepancy
Tx-
between the control and thyroidectomized
group confirms similar observations noted
in the rat by Kennedy and Talmage ( 14 ),
who. concluded that calcitonin may pri
marily inhibit phosphate release from the
bone. However, the nonsignificant serum
phosphate changes noted in animals fed
100
the experimental diets indicated that it was
not possible to determine the relative im
portance of calcitonin in the present study
from these results alone.
The histological evidence from the two
ponies fed the XHiP ration appeared to
support the blood changes (fig. 2) indicat
ing that the impaired Ca tolerance may
1.0 2.0 3.0
have been due, at least in part, to an in
creased résorptionor turnover of bone Ca.
Fig. 9 Ca tolerance times vs. the dietary P/Ca Osteoclastic as well as osteolytic activity
ratio in horses fed the experimental diets (table 1). accompanied by fibrous invasion of bone
The tolerance time of the Tx group has been in spaces are signs of an active resorptive
cluded for comparison. The regression equation is: process (2). Furthermore, osteoblastic pro
y (tolerance time) = 60+35.2 x, r = 0.99, P<
0.005. The standard errors for the tolerance times liferation is a compensatory stimulus to re-
are shown. sorbing bone (2). These results are further
ÇAAND P IN HORSES 27
supported by results of the balance trial, LITERATURE CITED
wJ indicated a negative Ca balance in 1. Reiss. E. & Canterbury, J. M. (1971) Gene
these same animals. sis of hyperparathyroidism. Amer. J. Med. 50,
679-685.
If the high phosphate diets resulted in a 2. Krook, L. & Lowe, J. E. (1964) Nutritional
hypersécrétionof parathyroid hormone secondary hyperparathyroidism in the horse.
with increased bone turnover or résorption, Suppl. Pathol. Vet. 1, 1-98.
recovery of induced hypocalcemia would 3. Joyce, J. R., Pierce, K. R., Romane. W. M. &
be expected to be faster than in control Baker, J. M. (1971) Clinical study of nutri
tional secondary hyperparathyroidism in
animals. The significantly higher serum Ca horses. J. Amer. Vet. Med. Ass. 158, 2033-
levels observed during recovery in animals 2042.
fed the high phosphate diet as compared 4. Pak, C. Y. C. (1971) Parathyroid hormone
with animals fed the control diet, suggests and thyrocalcitonin: their mode of action and
regulation. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 179, 450-
that this was so. 474.
The influence of thyroxine was again 5. Murphy, B. E. P. (1965) The determination
noted in these studies, confirming results of thyroxine by competitive protein binding
observed by Jowsey and Detenbeck with analysis employing an anion-exchange resin

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and radiothyroxine. J. Lab. Gun. Med. 66,
dogs (13). In addition, these workers ex 161-167.
amined microradiographs of bone which 6. Kallfelz, F. A. & Lowe, J. E. (1970) Some
clearly demonstrated an influence of thy normal values of thyroid function in horses. J.
roxine on increasing bone turnover. Amer. Vet. Med. Ass. 156, 1888-1891.
7. Aronson, A. L. & Ahrens, F. A. (1971) The
The present study with horses indicates mechanism of renal transport and excretion of
that both thyroxine and a low Ca, high P ethylenediaminetetraacetate with interspecies
diet influence Ca homeostasis, as defined by comparisons. Toxicol. Appi. Pharmacol. 18,
the response to induced hypo- or hyper- 1-9.
8. Steel, R. G. D. & Torrie, J. H. (1960)
calcemia. Results from the high phosphorus Principles and Procedures of Statistics. Mc
feeding strongly suggest the presence of a Graw-Hill Book Co., New York.
hypersecreting parathyroid gland. There 9. Copp, D. H., Cameron, E. C., Cheney, B. A.,
fore, these tests may be useful in the evalu Davidson, A. G. F. & Henze, K. G. (1962)
ation of the parathyroid status in animals Evidence for calcitonin: a new hormone from
the parathyroid that lowers blood calcium.
suspected of NSH. The serum Ca adjust Endocrinology 70, 638-649.
ments in the long-term experiment and 10. Krook, L., Lutwak, L., McEntee, K., Henrik-
even the relatively small depression of son, P.-A., Braun, K. & Roberts, S. (1971)
serum Ca concentration in the short-term Nutritional hypercalcitoninism in bulls. Cornell
Vet. 61, 625-639.
study despite excessive levels of serum P, 11. Schryver, H. F., Craig, P. H. & Hintz, H. F.
not only emphasize the fact that a major (1970) Calcium metabolism in ponies fed
compensatory adjustment is present, but varying levels of calcium. J. Nutr. 200, 955-
also that little reliability can be placed on 12. 964.
Schryver, H. F., Hintz, H. F. & Craig, P. H.
measurements of serum Ca and P alone. ( 1971 ) Calcium metabolism in ponies fed a
high phosphorus diet. J. Nutr. 101, 259-264.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 13. Jowsey, J. & Detenbeck, L. C. (1969) Im
portance of thyroid hormones in bone me
The authors wish to acknowledge the tabolism and calcium homeostasis. Endocrinol
technical assistance of Miss J. Cooper, Miss ogy 85, 87-95.
J. Williams, Mr. P. Daniluk, Mr. C. Mar 14. Kennedy, J. W., Ill & Talmage, R. V. ( 1971 )
quis and Mrs. S. Hallett. We also greatly Influence of the thyroids on the rate of re
moval of recently deposited radiocalcium and
appreciate the assistance of Dr. L. Krook radiophosphorus from bone. Endocrinology 88,
in photographing the bone sections. 1203-1209.

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