Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1973 Sep 1;14(3):428–435. doi: 10.1186/BF03547430

The Hypocalcemic Response to Protamine as a Measure of Bone Resorption

Det hypokalcemiska svaret på protamininjektion som ett matt på benresorbtionen

Jan Luthman 1,✉, Gösta Jonson 1, Jan Persson 1
PMCID: PMC8559850  PMID: 4357174

Abstract

The heparin antagonist protamine inhibits bone resorption. In the present study protamine was given i.v. at a dose of 10 mg/kg to goats and sheep in various stages of pregnancy and lactation. It is known that bone resorption increases as pregnancy progresses. In sheep maximum in bone resportion is reached at early lactation. The hypocalcemic response to protamine followed a similar course. The slightest decrease in serum calcium was obtained during early pregnancy and the greatest during late pregnancy and early lactation. Protamine increased serum inorganic phosphorus. The increase was most pronounced during early pregnancy. Protamine did not significantly change serum magnesium.

Five lactating ewes were given 25000 i.u./kg of vitamin D3. Serum calcium increased and the hypocalcemic response to protamine was greater after vitamin D3 administration than before.

The results showed that the hypocalcemic response to protamine can be used as an indicator of the role of bone resorption in calcium homeostasis in various physiological situations.

Keywords: protamine, bone resorption, hypocalcemia, ewes

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (754.9 KB).

References

  1. Anderson J, Tomlinson R W S, Wright J E C. The effect of protamine derivatives on calcium metabolism in patients with malignancy. Brit. J. Cancer. 1967;21:48–55. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1967.7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Asher J D, Nichols G. Heparin stimulation of bone collagenase activity. Fed. Proc. 1965;24:211. [Google Scholar]
  3. Braithwaite G D, Glascock R F, Riazuddin Sh. Calcium metabolism in lactating ewes. Brit. J. Nutr. 1969;23:827–833. doi: 10.1079/BJN19690093. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Braithwaite G D, Glascock R F, Riazuddin Sh. Calcium metabolism in pregnant ewes, Brit. J. Nutr. 1970;24:661–670. doi: 10.1079/BJN19700067. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Braithwaite G D, Glascock R F, Riazuddin Sh. Studies on the transfer of calcium across the ovine placenta and incorporation into the foetal skeleton. Brit. J. Nutr. 1972;27:417–424. doi: 10.1079/BJN19720107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fiske C H, Subbarow Y S. The colorimetric determination of phosphorus. J. biol. Chem. 1925;66:375–400. doi: 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)84756-1. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frame, B. & R. K. Nixon: Bone-marrow mast cells in osteoporosis of aging. New Engl. J. Med. 1968, 279. 626–631. [DOI] [PubMed]
  8. Goldhaber P. Heparin enhancement of factors stimulating hone resorption in tissue culture. Science. 1965;147:407–408. doi: 10.1126/science.147.3656.407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Griffith G C, Nichols G, Asher J D, Flanagan B. Heparin osteoporosis. J. Amer. med. Ass. 1965;193:85–88. doi: 10.1001/jama.1965.03090020005001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jaffe M D, Willis P W. Multiple fractures associated with long-term sodium heparin therapy. J. Amer. med. Ass. 1965;193:158–160. doi: 10.1001/jama.1965.03090020072024. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Johnston C C, Edward L, Grinnan L, Wilson H C, Boder G B. Protamine-induced hypocalcemia. Endocrinology. 1970;87:1211–1217. doi: 10.1210/endo-87-6-1211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jonson G, Luthman J, Möllerberg L, Persson J. Hypokalcemi hos dräktiga tackor. (Hypocalcemia in pregnant ewes) Nord. Vet.-Med. 1971;23:620–627. [Google Scholar]
  13. Jonson G, Luthman J, Möllerberg L, Persson J. Mineralutfodringen i fårbesättningar med kliniska fall av hypokalcemi. (The mineral feeding in sheep herds with clinical cases of hypocalcemia) Nord. Vet.-Med. 1973;25:97–103. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Luthman, J., G. Jonson & J. Persson: The hypocalcemic effect of protamine in goats and sheep. Zbl. Vet. Med. A. 1973, 20, 110– 115. [DOI] [PubMed]
  15. Rockoff D S, Armstrong J D. Parathyroid hormone as a stimulus to mast cell accumulation in bone. Cale. Tiss. Res. 1970;5:49–55. doi: 10.1007/BF02017533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Skerry D W. Di-(2-hydro-phenyl-imino)-ethane: A new indicator for the EDTA titration of serum calcium. Clin. chim. Acta. 1965;12:593–597. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(65)90179-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Urist, M. R. & F. C. McLean: Accumulation of mast cells in endosteum of bones of calcium-deficient rats. Arch. Path. 1957, 63, 239– 251. [PubMed]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES