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. 1971 Jan;68(1):177–181. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.1.177

A Rapidly Acting Metabolite of Vitamin D3

M R Haussler 1,2, D W Boyce 1,2, E T Littledike 1,2, H Rasmussen 1,2
PMCID: PMC391190  PMID: 4322260

Abstract

A vitamin D3 metabolite in intestine more polar than 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3(25-OH D3) has been detected by countercurrent distribution. The intestinal metabolite is found also after administration of labeled hydroxy D3, indicating that it arises from vitamin D3 via the intermediate 25-hydroxy derivative. The more polar metabolite is localized in the nuclear-chromatin fraction and appears in the gut before the physiological response to vitamin D3.

3.5 μg of the intestinal metabolite was isolated from 1250 chickens; the resulting purified material proved to be a potent mediator of calcium absorption. On a weight basis, it was at least 5 times as effective as vitamin D3, and acted 3 times faster than either hydroxy D3 or D3 in stimulating intestinal calcium transport in the rachitic chick. It is proposed that this as yet uncharacterized steroid represents the active form of vitamin D3 in the intestine.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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