The use of strontium as a marker of calcium in the studies of bone mineralization

The Ca-Sr substitution in bone is investigated using the animal model. Experimental and control groups are compared with respect to elemental composition, both determine at organ and cell levels and structure of the minerals. It is found that the applied doses of strontium (maximum 438 mg Sr/kg body weight) do not disturb the course of remodelling of the mature bone as well as formation of the young bone. The amount of Sr deposited in bone is independent of the route of administration (intravascular, intraperitoneal, intramuscular). The distribution of the Sr concentration in bone of mature animals reveals a characteristic pattern. The bulk of the strontium is distributed homogenously in bone. At places where bone remodelling is in progress, an elevated Sr concentration is observed. The localization of places of larger Sr concentration in bone is impossible without prior oxytetracycline labelling. The massive deposition of Sr in bone is detected during the growth of the skeleton. The possibility of in vivo measurements of Sr concentrations using low-power X-ray tube is demonstrated. The applications of Sr as a marker of calcium in the studies of human bone mineralization are discussed.