Primary isotope effect of tritium on the hydroxylations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3

Plasma appearance and disappearance of an oral dose of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 in healthy adults

25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) half-life is a potential biomarker for investigating vitamin D metabolism and requirements. We performed a pilot study to assess the approach and practical feasibility of measuring 25(OH)D half-life after an oral dose. A total of twelve healthy Gambian men aged 18–23 years were divided into two groups to investigate the rate and timing of (1) absorption and (2) plasma disappearance after an 80 nmol oral dose of 25(OH)D₂. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and, in the first group, every 2 h post-dose for 12 h, at 24 h, 48 h and on day 15. In the second group, fasting blood samples were collected on days 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21. Urine was collected for 2 h after the first morning void at baseline and on day 15. 25(OH)D₂ plasma concentration was measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem MS/MS and corrected for baseline. Biomarkers of vitamin D, Ca and P metabolism were measured at baseline and on day 15. The peak plasma concentration of 25(OH)D₂ was 9·6 (sd 0·9) nmol/l at 4·4 (sd 1·8) h. The terminal slope of 25(OH)D₂ disappearance was identified to commence from day 6. The terminal half-life of plasma 25(OH)D₂ was 13·4 (sd 2·7) d. There were no significant differences in plasma 25(OH)D₃, total 1,25(OH)₂D, parathyroid hormone, P, Ca and ionised Ca and urinary Ca and P between baseline and day 15 and between the two groups. The present study provides data on the plasma response to oral 25(OH)D₂ that will underpin and contribute to the further development of studies to investigate 25(OH)D half-life.

Quantification and kinetics of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 by isotope dilution liquid chromatography/thermospray mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography/thermospray mass spectrometry method has been developed and used to measure the plasma levels and half-life of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in adults. The mean plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 averaged 40 ng ml-1 (n = 4) in summer and 30 ng ml-1 (n = 6) in winter. The method was also used to determine the half-life of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in subjects maintained on either high or low-fiber diets who had been given an intravenous infusion of (6,19,19-2H3)25-hydroxyvitamin D3 sufficient to label 5% of their estimated body pools. The half-life was determined to be 10.4 days (n = 4), which is approximately 50% of the currently accepted value of 19 days, determined using radiolabeled methods. This difference may be due to kinetic isotope effects arising as a result of the tritiated compounds being labeled at sites that undergo Cyt-P450-catalyzed oxidations.

Vitamin D kinetics in vivo: effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D administration

Administration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] can increase the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. To determine whether administration of 1,25(OH)2D can also influence the metabolic clearance rates (MCR) of 1,25(OH)2D and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 24,25(OH)2D, we measured metabolic clearance of 1,25(OH)2D, 24,25(OH)2D, and 25(OH)D in rats in which the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D was increased by continuous infusion. Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D (12 days at 75 pmol/day) increased serum 1,25(OH)2D from 128 +/- 11 to 244 +/- 14 pg/ml (P less than 0.005) and increased MCR from 169 +/- 13 to 210 +/- 9 microliters.min-1.kg-1 or 24% (P less than 0.025). Increasing serum 1,25(OH)2D to 330-360 pg/ml increased MCR 72%. Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D decreased serum 24,25(OH)2D from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 2.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml (P less than 0.05), increased MCR from 25 +/- 2 to 48 +/- 6 microliters.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.0025), and increased the production rate (PR) from 70 +/- 11 to 124 +/- 26 pg.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.05). Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D decreased serum 25(OH)D from 13.0 +/- 0.5 to 8.0 +/- 0.5 ng/ml (P less than 0.005) and increased MCR from 45 +/- 1 to 75 +/- 7 microliters.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.001) but had no effect on PR. The data indicate that increasing serum 1,25(OH)2D by chronic administration can increase the MCR of 1,25(OH)2D and suggest that 1,25(OH)2D can feedback regulate its serum concentration by regulating its MCR. The data also suggest that 1,25(OH)2D administration can increase the MCRs of 24,25(OH)2D and 25(OH)D.

Synthesis of [10S(19)-3H]-dihydrotachysterol2 from ergocalciferol and preliminary investigations into its metabolic fate in rats

Dihydrotachysterol2 (DHT2), a 5,6-trans derivative of vitamin D2, is very successfully used in the treatment of hypoparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy. However, the metabolism and the action of DHT2 are poorly understood. Investigations into metabolism of DHT2 start at the synthesis of the radioactively labelled compound. This paper deals with a two-step synthesis of [10S(19)-3H]-dihydrotachysterol2 from vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 can be converted into 5,6-trans vitamin D2 by iodination under irradiation and by triplet-sensitized isomerization. The first method led to unwanted side-reaction products which were difficult to separate from 5,6-trans vitamin D2. Triplet-sensitized isomerization yielded merely 5,6-trans vitamin D2 which could be separated from the residual starting material by chromatography on silica gel and recrystallization. [10S](19)-3H]-Dihydrotachysterol2 with a specific radioactivity of 56 kCi/mol was prepared from 5,6-trans vitamin D2 via partial, homogeneous catalytic reduction of the 10S(19) double bond with tritium gas. It was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.) and characterized by chromatography and ultra-violet absorption spectrophotometry. The biological usefulness of the material was demonstrated in rats following intragastric administration. Blood was collected after 24 and 48 h and fractionation of serum lipids on h.p.l.c. showed 5 peaks of radioactivity.

Rat kidney microsomes convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to an unidentified metabolite

Kidney microsomes from vitamin D-deficient rats and from thyroparathyroidectomized rats converted 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to an unidentified metabolite. The addition of the cytosolic fraction enhanced microsomal synthesis of this metabolite two-fold. The kinetics of the conversion in the presence of the cytosolic fraction was allosteric, suggesting that the enzyme responsible for synthesis of this metabolite might serve some role in the regulation of vitamin D metabolism. Microsomes from vitamin D-fed thyroparathyroidectomized rats also produced a second metabolite, tentatively identified as 25,26-dihydroxyvitamin D3 because of its comigration with 25,26-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in three different chromatographic systems.