EXPLORATION OF THE ROLE OF STRONTIUM IN BONE HEALTH AND AS A TOOL TO MONITOR CHANGES IN BONE CALCIUM METABOLISM USING ISOTOPE TRACING TECHNIQUES

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate whether strontium intake with the amount well below therapeutic levels can have a detectable effect on bone and if strontium can be used for studying calcium metabolism in humans as well as to assess the response of bone to interventions. The long-term effect of sub-therapeutic dosage of strontium on bone was investigated in adult male Wistar rats. We found that strontium had a positive influence on bone at doses as low as 16% of the effective therapeutic dose of strontium ranelate with negligible risk of tissue hardening by strontification. The usefulness of a stable strontium isotope as a surrogate tracer in monitoring calcium metabolism was evaluated in this thesis. It was found that labeling of the skeleton and measuring urinary excretion of the tracer can be used as a diagnostic tool for early detection of evolving impairments in calcium and bone metabolism.