Skip to main content
Log in

The acute metabolic effects of oral tricalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate

  • Clinical Investigations
  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A double-blind study was performed to test the metabolic effects of tricalcium phosphate (TP) and calcium carbonate (CC) on serum calcium (SCa), serum phosphorus (SP), and immunoreactive intact serum parathyroid hormone (SPTH) levels in two groups of 24 subjects. The mean age of young subjects was 29.5 years, and elderly subjects, 65.9 years. These subjects fasted overnight for 12 hours, but with good hydration, before the tests. Following a 2-hour baseline-urine collection, 1200 mg elemental calcium (as CC or TP in tablet form) was chewed and ingested and 2-hour postload urines were collected. Blood was drawn immediately before and at 1, 2, and 4 hours after calcium load. The results showed that SCa and SP increased, whereas SPTH decreased with both preparations. The increment of SCa was similar after oral load of either calcium salt in both groups. The increment of SP after TP load was more than after CC. The urinary calcium/creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) increased significantly after both preparations in the young group. The urinary phosphorus/creatinine ratio (UP/Cr) did not change significantly following TP, but decreased significantly after CC load in the young subjects. However, in the elderly individuals, the UP/Cr increased after TP load but did not change following CC, with statistical significance. The difference of urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate/creatinine ratio (UcAMP/Cr) was not significant in both groups with either preparation. In summary, there was a similar rise in SCa and an equivalent fall in SPTH between TP and CC, in both young and elderly individuals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nordin BEC (1966) International patterns of osteoporosis. Clin Orthop 45:17–30

    Google Scholar 

  2. Reid IR, Schooler BA, Hannan SF, Ibbertson HK (1986) The acute biochemical effects of four proprietary calcium preparations. Aust NZ J Med 16:193–197

    Google Scholar 

  3. Woo J, Swaminathan R, Lau E, MacDonald D, Pang CP, Nordin BEC (1991) Biochemical effects of single oral dose of calcium on bone metabolism in elderly chinese women. Calcif Tissue Int 48:157–160

    Google Scholar 

  4. Need AG, Horowitz M, Philcox JC, Nordin BEC (1987) Biochemical effects of a calcium supplement in osteoporotic postmenopausal women with normal absorption and malabsorption of calcium. Miner Electrolyte Metab 13:112–116

    Google Scholar 

  5. Horowitz M, Morris HA, Hartley TF, Need AG, Wishart J, Ryan P, Nordin BEC (1987) The effects of an oral calcium load on plasma ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Calcif Tissue Int 40:133–136

    Google Scholar 

  6. Horowitz M, Need AG, Morris HA, Wishart J, Nordin BEC (1988) Biochemical effects of calcium supplementation in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Eur J Clin Nutr 42:776–778

    Google Scholar 

  7. Stamp T, Katakity M, Goldstein AJ, Jenkins MV, Kelsey CR, Rose GA (1991) Metabolic balance studies of mineral supplementation in osteoporosis. Clin Sci 81:799–802

    Google Scholar 

  8. Nordin BEC, Polley KJ, Need AG, Morris HA, Horowitz H (1988) Calcium and osteoporosis. Ann Chir Gynaecol 77:212–218

    Google Scholar 

  9. Walden O (1989) The relationship of dietary and supplemental calcium intake to bone loss and osteoporosis. J Am Diet Assoc 8:397–400

    Google Scholar 

  10. Riggs BL, Seeman E, Hodgson SF, Taves DR, O'Fallon WM (1982) Effect of the fluoride/calcium regiment on vertebral fracture occurrence in postmenopausal osteoporosis. New Engl J Med 306:446–405

    Google Scholar 

  11. Arnaud CD, Sanchez SD (1990) The role of calcium in osteoporosis. Annu Rev Nutr 10:397–414

    Google Scholar 

  12. Heaney RP (1991) Calcium intake in the osteoporotic context. Am J Clin Nutr 54:242S-244S

    Google Scholar 

  13. Goddard M, Young G, Marcus R (1986) Short-term effects of calcium carbonate, lactate, gluconate on the calcium-parathyroid axis in normal elderly men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 44:653–658

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nicar MJ, Pak CYC (1985) Calcium bioavailability from calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 61:391–393

    Google Scholar 

  15. Shires R, Kessler GM (1990) The absorption of tricalcium phosphate and its acute metabolic effects. Calcif Tissue Int 47:142–144

    Google Scholar 

  16. Broadus AE, Dominguez M, Bartter FC (1978) Pathophysiological studies in idiopathic hypercalciuria use of an oral calcium tolerance test to characterize distinctive hypercalciuric subgroups. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 47:751–760

    Google Scholar 

  17. Heaney RP, Recker RR, Hinders SM (1988) Variability of calcium absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 47:262–264

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ettinger B, Genant HK, Cann CE (1987) Postmenopausal bone loss is prevented by treatment with low-dosage estrogen with calcium. Ann Intern Med 106:40–45

    Google Scholar 

  19. Spencer H, Kramer L, Osis D (1988) Do protein and phosphorus cause calcium loss? J Nutr 118:657–660

    Google Scholar 

  20. Reiss E, Canterbury JM, Bercovitz MA, Kaplan EL (1970) The role of phosphate in the secretion of parathyroid hormone in man. J Clin Invest 49:2146–2149

    Google Scholar 

  21. Bullamore JR, Wikinson R, Gallagher JC (1970) Effect of age on calcium absorption. Lancet 2:535–537

    Google Scholar 

  22. Alevizaki CC, Ikkos DC, Singhelakis PJ (1973) Progressive decrease of true intestinal calcium absorption with age in normal man. Nucl Med 14:760–762

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gallagher JC, Riggs BL, Eisman J (1979) Intestinal calcium absorption and serum vitamin D metabolites in normal subjects and osteoporotic patients. J Clin Invest 64:729–736

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ramirez JA, Emmett M, White MG, Fathi N, Ana CAS, Morawski SG, Fordtran JS (1986) The absorption of dietary phosphorus and calcium in hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int 30:753–759

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, R.S., Liu, T.K. & Tsai, K.S. The acute metabolic effects of oral tricalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Calcif Tissue Int 55, 335–341 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299310

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299310

Key words

Navigation