25-Hydroxycholecalciferol: stimulation of bone resorption in tissue culture

25-Hydroxycholecalciferol stimulates release of previously incorporated calcium-45 from fetal rat bones in doses of 0.9 to 27 units per milliliter. This effect cannot be produced by much larger doses of vitamin D(3). Comparison of stimulation of bone resorption by 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and parathyroid hormone reveals similarities with respect to time course, dose-response slope, and inhibition by calcitonin.