1,25-Dihydroxy-19-nor-vitamin D2, a Vitamin D Analog with Reduced Bone Resorbing Activity In Vitro

Abstract

Abstract. 1,25-Dihydroxy-19-nor-vitamin D2 (19-norD2), a new analog of 1,25(OH)2D3, suppresses parathyroid hormone in renal failure patients and in uremic rats but has less calcemic activity than 1,25(OH)2D3. Although 19-norD2 has high affinity for the vitamin D receptor and similar pharmacokinetics to those of 1,25(OH)2D3, it has much less bone resorbing activity in vivo. The intrinsic activity of 19-norD2 on osteoclastogenesis and activation of bone resorption in mouse bone marrow cultures was examined to determine the mechanism involved. 19-norD2 and 1,25(OH)2D3 (10 nM) were equivalent in stimulating the formation and maintenance of large multinucleated, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cells. However, the amount of bone resorbed by osteoclasts stimulated by 10 nM 19-norD2, as measured by pit-forming assays, was reduced 62% compared with 10 nM 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated osteoclasts (P < 0.05). This difference could not be attributed to enhanced catabolism or to downregulated vitamin D receptor. The rate of degradation of 19-norD2 in cultures was approximately 20% greater than 1,25(OH)2D3, not enough to account for the different effects on bone resorption. The VDR levels were identical in cultures that were treated with 19-norD2 and 1,25(OH)2D3. In summary, 19-norD2 is less effective than 1,25(OH)2D3 in stimulating mouse marrow osteoclasts to resorb bone. The reason for this difference is not clear but seems to involve the late maturation and/or activation of osteoclasts as the number of pits produced by each tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cell is reduced under stimulation by 19-norD2 compared with 1,25(OH)2D3.