Parathyroid hormone does not increase nephrogenous cyclic AMP excretion by the dog

The renal excretion of nephrogenous cyclic AMP (NcAMP) increases in response to parathyroid hormone (PTH) in man, and thereby serves as a test of parathyroid function. However, during studies of calcium-PTH (PTH) in man, and thereby serves as a test of parathyroid function. However, during studies of calcium-PTH interrelationships in dogs we observed no change in total urinary cAMP (UcAMP) excretion when endogenous plasma PTH levels were increased up to 10-fold. This study was designed to investigate the effects of physiologic and pharmacologic levels of PTH on NcAMP and UcAMP excretion in the dog. Maintaining plasma Ca 2 mg/dl below normal for 40 minutes caused an 8-fold increase in plasma PTH concentration, a 50% increase in the urinary fractional excretion of phosphate (FEP) but no changes in plasma cAMP levels or in UcAMP or NcAMP excretion. Infusion of a pharmacologic amount of parathyroid extract (15 U/min for 20 min) increased plasma cAMP 5-fold, UcAMP excretion 3-fold and FEP by 50% but was without effect on NcAMP excretion. We conclude that NcAMP excretion is not stimulated by PTH in the dog and thus cannot be used as an index of PTH action in vivo. The increase in UcAMP excretion by pharmacologic amounts of PTH results from glomerular filtration of increased plasma cAMP, which may be generated in bone.