In Vitro Studies of Vitamin D-Induced Aortic Calcification 1

Abstract

Summary

Arterial segments incubated in a culture system containing serum from rats with hypervitaminosis D accumulate more calcium than segments incubated in a system containing normal rat serum. If such arterial segments are incubated in serum, they accumulate more calcium from normal serum than rachitic serum and more from serum from rats with hypervitaminosis than from normal serum. Addition of either vitamin D or calcium alone to normal serum does not result in excess calcium accumulation by arteries incubated in such serum, but addition of both does. Different aortic segments accumulate different amounts of calcium, apparently in relation to the proportion of elastic tissue in the segments.

We wish to thank Dr. G. M. Hass for his encouragement and support.