Osteoporosis is a significant public health issue around the world, with post-menopausal osteoporosis due to estrogen deficiency resulting in approximately ¾ of cases. In this study, 18 aged Merino ewes were ovariectomized, and 10 were controls. Three of the ovariectomized ewes were treated weekly with 400 mg of methylprednisolone for 5 months and three were treated weekly for 2 months, followed by a 3-month recovery period. At 2 months, five control animals and six ovariectomized animals were euthanized. At 5 months, all the remaining ewes were euthanized. Kidney samples were collected postmortem for qPCR analysis of NPT1, PTH1R, NPT2a, NPT2c, Klotho, FGFR1IIIc, VDR, CYP24A1, CYP27B1, TRPV5, TRPV6, CalD9k, CalD28k, PMCA and NCX1. Ovariectomized sheep had significantly greater VDR expression compared with other groups. Ovariectomized sheep treated with glucocorticoids for 2 months followed by euthanasia at 5 months showed significant differences in TRPV5, CYP24A1 and klotho gene expression compared to other groups. Differences in klotho expression were most marked after adjustment for repeated measures (p = 0.1). Klotho is known as the "anti-aging" hormone and is involved in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Klotho may be involved in the recovery of bone mineral density in ovariectomized sheep treated with glucocorticoids for 2 months followed by euthanasia at 5 months. Further research on the role of klotho is recommended.
Keywords: calcium metabolism; klotho; osteoporosis; phosphatonin; phosphorus metabolism; qPCR; sheep; vitamin D.