Plasma parathyroid hormone and calcium are related to sleep stage cycles

To study dynamic interactions among parathyroid hormone (PTH), plasma calcium, and brain states, seven normal subjects were studied for a total of eight nights in our sleep laboratories. Plasma samples were obtained at 10- to 20-min intervals for PTH and calcium determinations. Electroencephalogram, eye movements, and muscle tone were recorded to determine sleep stages. On each night, several distinct peaks in PTH concentration were seen, which in some cases exceeded the all night mean PTH by as much as 300%. Peaks in plasma PTH were significantly nonrandom and tended to recur about every 100 min. PTH concentration was significantly related to cycles of stages 3 and 4 sleep. Total plasma calcium varied less but was significantly related to cycles of rapid eye movement sleep and to cycles of stage 2 sleep. PTH and calcium were significantly interrelated, especially at high frequencies above 40 cycles/day (1 cycle 36 min). In the 14.4 cycles/day (1 cycle/100 min) frequency range where most PTH and calcium variability was found, however, PTH and calcium were more closely related to sleep stages than to each other. These results suggest that the regulation of PTH and calcium is complex and may involve interactions with neural systems.