Human placental lactogen release in vitro: paradoxical effects of calcium

To study the effects of calcium on the release of human placental lactogen (hPL), placental explants were exposed to media containing lower or higher concentrations of calcium than normally available to the placenta. Explants exposed for 2 h to calcium-poor medium or medium containing either 2 mM EDTA or 2 mM EGTA released 160, 248, and 253% more hPL, respectively, than control explants. In contrast, explants exposed to medium containing higher than normal calcium concentrations released the same amounts of hPL as the control explants. At lower than normal extracellular calcium concentrations, the increased hPL release was inversely proportional to the calcium concentration. The increased release in calcium-poor medium was inhibited by subsequent exposure of the explants to medium containing calcium and was prevented by either barium or magnesium. Changes in barium or magnesium concentrations, however, had no effects on hPL release in the presence of normal extracellular calcium concentrations. Methoxyverapamil (D 600), an inhibitor of calcium flux, stimulated hPL release. Because low extracellular calcium and methoxyverapamil both inhibit calcium influx, these experiments suggest that calcium influx inhibits hPL release. The role of calcium in the regulation of hPL release therefore appears to be different from that reported in other release systems.