The present study was undertaken to examine changes in vascular ultrastructure of rats subjected to hypervitaminosis D with or without treatment with
ethane-I-hydroxy-I, I-diphosphonate (
EHDP). Five groups of rats were studied. Untreated rats were given
0.9% NaCl i.p.
Sham-treated rats were given vehicle (
corn oil). Treated rats were given
ergocalciferol (75,000 IU i.p.) dissolved in vehicle with or without
EHDP (5 mM/100 g
body-weight i.p.). Rats which had been given
ergocalciferol without
EHDP developed
hypercalcemia and demonstrated significant arterial
calcinosis. A similar degree of
calcinosis was not observed in rats given
ergocalciferol with
EHDP.
EHDP appeared to inhibit arterial
calcinosis; however, it did not affect plasma
calcium levels. This suggests that
EHDP might delay
calcium influx into the cell and thereby prevent
calcium overload. Our findings support the suggestion that
EHDP therapy can be an effective treatment for the inhibition of dystrophic arterial
calcinosis.