Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Two Techniques to Create Hypoparathyroid Mice: Parathyroidectomy Using GFP Glands and Diphtheria-Toxin-Mediated Parathyroid Ablation
Published on: March 14, 2017
Abnormal skeletal response to parathyroid hormone and the expression of its receptor in chronic uremia
1INSERM Unité 90, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France.
Abstract:
Chronic renal failure is characterized by a resistance to the hypercalcemic action of parathyroid hormone (PTH). This resistance probably involves several mechanisms, including a disturbance of vitamin D metabolism, a desensitization of the skeleton by high PTH levels, hyperphosphatemia, uremic toxins, and acidosis. We have explored the possibility that a downregulation of the recently cloned PTH/PTHrp receptor might also be involved. We found a marked decrease in the expression of the receptor mRNA in the kidney and the bone of uremic rats; other authors have found a decrease in the heart and the liver. The reduced expression in the kidney was accompanied by a diminished stimulability of renal adenylate cyclase activity, suggestive of a functional depression of the hormonal response in this target tissue. It is probable that the downregulation of the PTH/PTHrp receptor plays an important role in the skeletal resistance to the calcemic effect of PTII in chronic renal failure.
Related Concept Videos
What is the Skeletal System?
Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...

