Table 3.

Roles of ARA in bone formation, metabolism, and mineral balance.

Metabolic Effector	Physiological Roles of ARA
ARA [149]	Maintain normal balance between bone mineral accrual and bone resorption during infant development
ARA, growth hormones [150,151]	Increase insulin-like growth factor gene expression and induction of osteoblast-dependent bone formation
Vitamin D3 [128,133]	Mediate vitamin D3 coordination of chondrocyte proliferation in the epiphyseal growth plates of long bones. Parathyroid hormone secretion
Calcium and phosphorous [152]	Regulation of parathyroid hormone secretion in response to blood mineral concentrations
Parathyroid hormone [149,150]	ARA mediated/activated pathway involved in the activation and secretion of vitamin D3 by kidneys
Physical activity [153]	ARA mediates bone adaptation to changes in physical stress through mechanisms which mediate resorption and remodeling