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Regulation by calcium of parathyroid hormone mRNA in cultured parathyroid tissue

J J Brookman1, S M Farrow, L Nicholson

  • 1Department of Medicine, Middlesex Hospital, London, U.K.

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
|December 1, 1986
PubMed

Insights

Extracellular calcium levels influence parathyroid hormone mRNA in bovine cells over time. High calcium suppresses parathyroid hormone mRNA long-term, while low calcium increases it.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates calcium homeostasis.
  • PTH secretion is sensitive to extracellular calcium concentrations.
  • The regulation of PTH gene expression by calcium is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of extracellular calcium concentration on parathyroid hormone mRNA levels in bovine parathyroid tissue.
  • To differentiate between short-term and long-term effects of calcium on PTH mRNA.

Main Methods:

  • Bovine parathyroid tissue slices and dispersed cells were cultured under varying calcium concentrations (0.4-5 mM).
  • Parathyroid hormone mRNA levels were quantified using gel blot and dot blot hybridization with a 32P-labeled PreProPTH cDNA probe.
  • PTH secretion was measured in short-term cultures.

Main Results:

  • Short-term (4 hours) incubation with high calcium suppressed PTH secretion but did not alter PTH mRNA levels.
  • Long-term culture (24-72 hours) showed a 50% suppression of PTH mRNA in high calcium, sustained for 48 hours.
  • Normal calcium levels maintained stable PTH mRNA, while low calcium slightly increased it by 48 hours.
  • Human parathyroid adenoma cells showed a smaller (10%) decrease in PTH mRNA under high calcium.

Conclusions:

  • Extracellular calcium exerts a long-term regulatory effect on parathyroid hormone mRNA levels in bovine parathyroid cells.
  • The response of PTH mRNA to calcium differs between short-term and long-term exposures.
  • Human parathyroid adenoma cells exhibit a less pronounced response to high calcium compared to normal bovine parathyroid tissue.

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