Parathyroid hormone mRNA levels are increased by progestins and vary during rat estrous cycle

Estrogen increases parathyroid hormone (PTH) mRNA levels in vivo in ovariectomized rats. We now show that the 19-norprogestin R-5020 given to weanling rats or mature ovariectomized rats led to a twofold increase in thyroparathyroid PTH mRNA levels. This increase in PTH mRNA occurred at 24 and 48 h after progesterone but not at 72 h. There were no changes in serum calcium. In vitro, in primary cultures of bovine parathyroid cells, progesterone increased PTH mRNA levels threefold at 10(-8) M and twofold at 10(-9) M after 24 h. Progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA was demonstrated in rat parathyroid tissue by in situ hybridization and in human parathyroid adenoma by immunohisto-chemistry. Changes in PTH mRNA levels during the rat estrous cycle were also studied. At proestrus and estrus PTH mRNA levels were increased significantly by three- and fourfold compared with diestrus. Our results confirm that the parathyroid gland is a target organ for the ovarian sex steroids estrogen and progesterone and are of physiological relevance as shown by the changes during estrus.