The kidney is a major regulator of calcium homeostasis. However, the pathological causes of dysregulated calcium-phosphate homeostasis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain elusive. We report that phytate, a major but indigestible form of dietary pho...
The kidney is a major regulator of calcium homeostasis. However, the pathological causes of dysregulated calcium-phosphate homeostasis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain elusive. We report that phytate, a major but indigestible form of dietary phosphorus, caused rats to excrete excessive calcium into feces, indicating malabsorption of intestinal calcium. Calcium malabsorption triggered a dramatic increase in intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. High PTH levels predisposed rats to develop intratubular nephrocalcinosis, glomerular and tubulointerstitial nephritis, and acquired renal cysts. These defects accelerated renal calcium leak and serum phosphate retention, leading to secondary hyperparathyroidism in association with hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, severe bone loss, and peritrabecular osteitis. Thus, restriction of dietary phytate is a potential therapeutic option for controlling calcium-phosphate homeostasis in CKD. Finally, proteome and immunohistochemical analyses of kidney tissues showed that multi-phosphorylated osteopontin (OPN) was significantly increased in the kidney of phytate-fed rats. Multi-phosphorylated OPN deposits in the kidney were further activated downstream NF-kB pathway, which may cause glomerular and interstitial nephritis in the kidney of phytate-fed rats. These results suggest that circulating multi-phosphorylated OPN derived from excessive bone resorption is one of the main mediators of phytate-induced nephrocalcinosis and CKD. Thus, circulating multi-phosphorylated OPN may be a unique pathological biomarker for early diagnosis of CKD, and a novel and promising therapeutic target for the patients with CKD.