Twenty Jersey cows were fed one of four prepartal diets: a)low calcium, low phosphorus (LCLP); b) low calcium, high phosphorus (LCLP); c) high calcium, low phosphorus (HCLP); or d)high calcium, high phosphorus (HCHP). Diets were fed for about 4 weeks prepartum. Blood samples were taken periodically, and the collected plasma analyzed for concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, hydroxyproline and 1,25 dihydroxyergocalciferol plus 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)2D). Cows fed the LCLP and LCHP diets, when compared to cows fed the HCLP diet, had: a) greater concentrations of plasma 1,25-(OH)2D and hydroxyproline prepartum; b) greater plasma calcium concentrations at parturition; and c) less incidence (0 versus 4 cases) of parturient paresis. Thus, low calcium diets, regardless of dietary phosphorus intake, seemed to activate calcium homeostatic mechanisms before parturition by stimulating both bone and gut. Cows fed the HCLP diet had greater plasma calcium concentrations at parturition than did cows fed the HCHP, even though there was no measurable effect on plasma 1,25-(OH)2D and hydroxyproline concentrations during the prepartal period. It seems possible that the beneficial effect of low dietary phosphorus, when dietary calcium is high, may be a result of a prepartal increase in efficiency of absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gut caused by increased binding of 1,25-(OH)2D to intestinal receptors.

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A primer set of oligonucleotides (S18 and S19) from the ompC gene of Salmonella has been evaluated for specific detection of Salmonella by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). T h i s primer set successfully amplified 40 Salmonella serovars (60 isolates), b u t not 24 non-Salmonella bacteria (42 isolates) that have been tested so far. T h e uniqueness of these primer sequences was also confirmed. T h e sensitivity of PCR detection in extracted chromosomal DNA for Salm. typhimurium was 1 pg. The sensitivity for boiled whole bacteria was 400 cells. T h e detection of Salm. typhimurium in ground beef samples required 4-6 h enrichment with an initial inocula of 100 bacteria.

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Fifty patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were studied with an oral calcium-tolerance test, measurements of plasma levels of vitamin D metabolites, and determination of calcium excretion on both a low-normal (400 mg) and high-normal (1000 mg) calcium intake. There were strong positive correlations between plasma levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and both the calciuric response to the calcium-tolerance test (r = +0.75, P less than 0.001) and calcium excretion on the 1000-mg calcium diet (r = +0.65, P less than 0.001). The patients were classified into two subpopulations: 30 patients showed hyperabsorption with the calcium-tolerance test, striking hypercalciuria, marked elevations in plasma 1,25(OH)2D, and a high incidence (19 of 30 patients) of renal stones; 20 patients had a normal response to the tolerance test, normocalciuria, normal or high-normal plasma 1,25(OH)2D, and a low incidence of stones (three of 20 patients). The findings emphasize the importance of circulating 1,25(OH)2D in the pathogenesis of hypercalciuria and stone formation in primary hyperparathyroidism.

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