Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on calcium absorption in the colon of healthy humans.

Calcium absorption in patients with short bowel syndrome is significantly higher when the colon is left intact. To study calcium transport in the large bowel, we investigated whether exogenous 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH2)D3] can induce or enhance colonic calcium absorption in healthy subjects ingesting a normal diet. Steady-state colon perfusion studies were performed before and after 1 wk of 1,25(OH)2D3 administration (2 micrograms/day, 10 subjects). Serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentration rose from 23.0 +/- 2.2 to 39.5 +/- 4.3 pg/ml (mean +/- SE, P less than 0.01). In the basal state the mean net movement of calcium was not significantly different from zero when a 5 mM calcium gluconate solution was perfused (100 +/- 84 mumol X h-1 X entire colon secreted-1). Vitamin D administration resulted in a significant change toward calcium absorption (106 +/- 47 mumol X h-1 X entire colon absorbed-1, P less than 0.02). 1,25(OH)2D3 had no effect on colonic magnesium, phosphate, water, and electrolyte movement. This study demonstrates that in healthy humans exogenous 1,25(OH)2D3 can change colonic calcium movement toward absorption. We suspect that similar changes in colonic calcium transport are caused by endogenous 1,25(OH)2D3 when calcium deficiency has occurred in short bowel syndrome.