Heterogeneous response to PTH in aging rats: evidence for skeletal PTH resistance

Plasma immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (irPTH) levels increase and renal responsiveness to pharmacological doses of PTH decreases with advancing age. This study tested whether 1) decreased irPTH clearance contributes to the elevated NH2-terminal irPTH levels seen in aged rats and 2) aged rats respond to physiological levels of rat PTH. Conscious adult (7-mo-old) and aged (25-mo-old) male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused for 2 h with rat PTH-(1-34) to achieve steady-state levels in plasma (110-120 pg/ml). Basal irPTH levels were 77% higher (P less than 0.01), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] levels were 46% lower (P less than 0.05) in the aged rats. Renal function was not significantly different in these two groups. The metabolic clearance rate of irPTH was rapid and not different in adult and aged rats (99 +/- 8 vs. 111 +/- 7 ml.min-1.kg-1, respectively). After the PTH infusion, plasma ionized and total calcium and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels increased significantly in adult rats, whereas no changes were observed in aged rats. In contrast, a similar significant hypophosphatemic response (23-25% decrease) was seen in both age groups, but the hypophosphatemia was maintained for longer in aged rats. Thus the elevated plasma irPTH levels in aged rats are caused solely by increased secretion. Finally, there is a heterogeneity in the responses to PTH infusion in aged rats, suggesting that the aged rat skeleton, like the kidney, is PTH resistant.