Role of 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol in Calcification of Bone and Maintenance of Serum Calcium Concentration in the Rat

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Abstract
1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol, the metabolite of vitamin D believed to be the metabolically active form in the stimulation of intestinal calcium absorption and in the mobilization of calcium from bone, is much less effective administered orally and chronically than either cholecalciferol or 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol in the calcification of bone and in the elevation of serum calcium concentration of rats. However, when it is administered either intravenously or intraperitoneally, it is at least as effective and possibly more effective than 25-hydroxycholecalciferol in the elevation of plasma calcium and phosphorus and in the calcification of bone. These results are consistent with the concept that 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol represents the hormonal form of vitamin D responsible for the maintenance of serum calcium at the expense of either bone or diet.