Parathyroid hormone is able to enhance cyclic adenosine monophosphate formation without causing an increase in...

There are several reports indicating that parathyroid hormone (PTH), besides inducing the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), also causes an increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in osteoblasts, and it has been speculated that both of these second messengers are necessary to mediate PTH-induced bone resorption. In the osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1, bovine PTH 1-34 (10 nmol/l-1 mumol/l) stimulated cAMP formation but did not cause an increase in [Ca2+]i in adherent single cells (basal [Ca2+]i = 151 +/- 5 nmol/l, mean +/- SEM; N = 98). In contrast, subsequent addition of bradykinin (1 mumol/l) resulted in a transient increase in [Ca2+]i from a basal level of 155 +/- 11 nmol/l to a peak value of 351 +/- 60 nmol/l (N = 14). When the PTH challenge was followed by the addition of thrombin (10 U/ml), the latter induced a transient rise in [Ca2+]i from a basal level of 173 +/- 12 nmol/l to a peak at 341 +/- 33 nmol/l (N = 20). Primary cultures of human osteoblasts were obtained from trabecular bone. These cells were also PTH-responsive in terms of cAMP formation. On the other hand, human PTH 1-34 (100 nmol/l) did not affect [Ca2+]i in the isolated human osteoblasts, while bradykinin (1 mumol/l) caused a transient increase in [Ca2+]i (from a basal value of [Ca2+]i at 154 +/- 10 nmol/l to a peak value of 757 +/- 147 nmol/l within 30 s; N = 16).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)