Mikael Häggström [Public domain] via Wikimedia CommonsCalcium homeostasis in the body is maintained through coordination between renal, intestinal and bone tissues. Ingested calcium in the intestine is first absorbed into the blood and then is either deposited into bone or filtered in the kidney and then reabsorbed or excreted in urine. Excretion of large amounts of calcium in the urine, or hypercalciuria, contributes to the development of osteoporosis and of kidney stones. The mechanism underlying hypercalciuria has not been identified. Researchers led by R. Todd Alexander (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) investigating calcium transport in mice now report that a molecule responsible for sodium absorption in the body, NHE3, is also required for calcium absorption.
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