Hepatic and intestinal osteodystrophy and the hepatobiliary metabolism of vitamin D.

Abstract

The metabolism of vitamin D3 has been extensively studied over the last 15 years (1). Much has been learned about the formation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, the metabolite of vitamin D3 active in the intestine, but little is known about its metabolism or how alterations in such processes may contribute to human disease. This review describes how 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is metabolized in humans and experimental animals, and suggests mechanisms by which diseases affecting the liver and intestine might alter the metabolism of dihydroxylated vitamin D3 compounds and thereby contribute to the bone disease seen in hepatic and intestinal disorders. Vitamin D3