Rc. Muhlbauer et H. Fleisch, THE FOOD-INDUCED STIMULATION OF BONE-RESORPTION IN THE RAT, ASSESSED BY THE URINARY [H-3] TETRACYCLINE EXCRETION, IS MEDIATED BY PARATHYROID-HORMONE, Bone, 17(4), 1995, pp. 449-453
Using the urinary excretion of[H-3]-tetracycline from prelabeled rats
to monitor bone resorption, we have previously shown that food intake
is associated with a rapid and large increase in bone resorption. This
increase is blunted when the daily intake is fractionated into 4 port
ions instead of being given at once. Food fractionation also leads to
a large increase in bone mass. In order to establish whether the thyro
parathyroid gland is involved in this effect, thyroparathyroidectomize
d (TPTX) rats were studied. The food-induced increase in bone resorpti
on was absent in TPTX rats. Therefore, the pattern of parathyroid horm
one (PTH) was investigated during the development of the food-induced
bone resorption, and under food fractionation. Rats were trained to ea
t their daily high Ca food in less than two hours. Thereafter they wer
e given food portions of 5 or 20 grams, respectively. PTH in serum was
measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after food intake. In rats given
the large food portions, a conspicous increase of PTH was found. In co
ntrast, serum PTH of rats fed the small food portion did only change t
o an insignificant extent. This study in rats shows that the ingestion
of a large meal induces a transient increase of PTH. The present resu
lts can therefore explain the formerly observed acute increase in bone
resorption following food intake and its blunting by food fractionati
on. It is not known, whether such a mechanism occurs also in humans. I
f so, these results would provide the rational basis to decrease bone
resorption by food fractionation.