Urinary cyclic AMP excretion in birds: dependence on parathyroid hormone activity

The cyclic AMP response of avian kidney to parathyroid activity has been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The production of cyclic AMP by dispersed avian kidney cells was stimulated by bovine parathyroid hormone or by an extract of avian parathyroid glands. Intravenous infusion of bovine parathyroid hormone resulted in increased urinary excretion and plasma concentration of cyclic AMP, as well as increased plasma calcium and urinary phosphorus excretion. The increases in plasma and urinary cyclic AMP preceded those of plasma calcium and of phosphorus excretion. EDTA infusion resulted in a decrease in plasma calcium and an increase in urinary cyclic AMP excretion. After 10 days on a low-calcium diet, chickens exhibited a 4.5-fold increase in urinary cyclic AMP excretion. The results suggest that urinary cyclic AMP in chickens reflects PTH activity similar to some mammalian species.