No abstract

Growing giant-breed dogs are more susceptible to developing skeletal disorders than small-breed dogs when raised on diets with deficient or excessive Ca content. Differential hormonal regulation of Ca homeostasis in dogs with different growth rates was investigated in Great Danes (GD, n = 9) and Miniature Poodles (MP, n = 8). All animals were raised on the same balanced diet and under identical conditions. Calciotropic and growth-regulating hormones were measured. Production and clearance of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25[OH]2D3) were investigated with the aid of [3H]-1,25(OH)2D3 and renal messenger RNA abundance of 1 alpha-hydroxylase and 24-hydroxylase. Intestinal, renal, and skeletal Ca handling were evaluated with the aid of 45Ca balance studies. Skeletal development was evaluated by radiology and histomorphometry. Great Danes had greater (P < 0.001) growth rates than MP, as indicated by the 17-fold greater body weight gain, by increased longitudinal growth reflected in the increased (P < 0.05) gain in length of the radius and ulna, and by increased (P < 0.001) growth plate thickness. These findings were accompanied in GD by greater (P < 0.05) plasma GH and IGF-I concentrations. Effects were observed for vitamin D3 metabolism, such as greater (P < 0.01) plasma 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations due to decreased (P < 0.01) clearance rather than increased production of 1,25(OH)2D3, and decreased (P < 0.01) plasma 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (24,25[OH]2D3) concentrations likely due to competitive inhibition of the production of 24,25(OH)2D3. These findings were accompanied in both breeds by a limited hormonal regulation of Ca and P absorption at the intestinal level, and in GD by increased (P < 0.05) renal reabsorption of inorganic P (Pi) compared with MP, resulting in greater (P < 0.01) Pi retention and greater (P < 0.01) plasma Pi concentrations. Bone turnover, resorption, and formation were greater (P < 0.01) in GD than in MP. In addition, GD had more irregular (P < 0.01) growth plates than MP, accompanied by disorders of endochondral ossification. It is suggested that in GD, increased calcitonin levels and/or a relative deficiency in 24,25(OH)2D3 at the growth-plate level may both be responsible for the retarded maturation of chondrocytes, resulting in retained cartilage cones and osteochondrosis, and this may be a pathophysiological factor for the increased susceptibility of large breed dogs to developing skeletal disorders.

No abstract

During intervertebral disc (IVD) maturation, notochordal cells (NCs) are replaced by chondrocyte-like cells (CLCs) in the nucleus pulposus, suggesting that NCs play a role in maintaining tissue health. Affirmatively, NC-conditioned medium (NCCM) exerts regenerative effects on CLC proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. The aim of this study was to identify NC-secreted substances that stimulate IVD regeneration. By mass spectrometry of porcine, canine and human NCCM, 149, 170 and 217 proteins were identified, respectively, with 66 proteins in common. Mainly ECM-related proteins were identified, but also organelle-derived and membranebound vesicle proteins. To determine whether the effect of NCCM was mediated by soluble and/or pelletable factors, porcine and canine NCCM were separated into a soluble (NCCM-S; peptides and proteins) and pelletable (NCCM-P; protein aggregates and extracellular vesicles) fraction by ultracentrifugation, and tested on bovine and canine CLCs in vitro, respectively. In each model, NCCM-S exerted a more pronounced anabolic effect than NCCM-P. However, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) uptake from the medium into the carrier gel prevented more definite conclusions. While the effect of porcine NCCM-P on bovine CLCs was negligible, canine NCCM-P appeared to enhance GAG and collagen type II deposition by canine CLCs. In conclusion, porcine and canine NCCM exerted their anabolic effects mainly through soluble factors, but also the pelletable NCCM factors showed moderate regenerative potential. Although the regenerative potential of NCCM-P should not be overlooked, future studies should focus on unraveling the protein-based regenerative mechanism from NCCM produced from isolated NCs, e.g. by NCCM fractionation and pathway blocking studies.

Hormonal regulation of calcium (Ca) absorption was investigated in a cholecalciferol (vitamin D(3))-supplemented group (hVitD) vs. a control group (cVitD) of growing Great Danes (100 vs. 12.5 micro g vitamin D(3)/kg diet). Although Ca intakes did not differ, fractional Ca absorption was significantly lower in the hVitD group than in the cVitD group. There were no differences in plasma concentrations of Ca, inorganic phosphate, parathyroid hormone, growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor I between groups. Plasma 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D(3)] concentrations were maintained in the hVitD dogs at the same levels as in the cVitD dogs due to increased turnover of 25(OH)D(3) into 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [24,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)]. In hVitD dogs, the greater plasma 24,25(OH)(2)D(3) concentration and the enhanced metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) indicated upregulated 24-hydroxylase activity. The increased MCR of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) decreased plasma 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) concentrations. In hVitD dogs, the greater production rate of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) was consistent with the 12.9-fold greater renal 1alpha-hydroxylase gene expression compared with cVitD dogs and compensated to a certain extent for the accelerated MCR of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). The moderately decreased plasma 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) concentration can only partially explain the decreased Ca absorption in the hVitD dogs. Intestinal vitamin D receptor concentrations did not differ between groups and did not account for the decreased Ca absorption. We suggest that 24,25(OH)(2)D(3) may downregulate Ca absorption.