Studies of Bone Metabolism with the Aid of Radioactive Strontium

STUDIES OF BONE lWABOLISM WITH THE AID OF RADIOACTIVE STRONTIUM by D. e. JonesandD. H. Copp,M.D. January16T 1948 The kinetics of skeletal uptake and urinary excretion of radiostrontium were studied during the critieal first hour following intraperitoneal injection of a carrier-free dose. These experiments not only provided valuable data con.cerning the metabolism and fixation of this important fission product, but, because of the close similarity of strontium and calcium, also gave basic information on the process of calcification. Three groups of rats were compared: normal mature adults, young growing normal animals, and young rachitic rats. In all groups, the blood radioactive strontium rose to a maximum in 10-15 minutes, and then declined as the strontium continued to deposit in the skeleton or to be excreted in the urine. Muscle and skin strontium curves followed those of blood quite closely, suggesting a rapid equilibrium between their extracellular fluid and blood plasma. In all groups there was a continous uptake of strontium by the skeleton. In the adults, this was almost constant, suggesting uptek e by absorption and exchange with the calcium of the bone mineral. In the young rats, both normal and rachitic, the very rapid initial rate of uptake of radio-strontium tapered off sharply with time, indicating that some of this radio-element was coming back from the bone into the blood stream. This suggested a rapid labile combination of strontiunl in these animals, which, since it also occured in the rachitic group in which normal calcification