Selective stimulation of net calcium efflux from chick embryo tibiae by parathyroid hormone in vitro

Summary The purpose of this study was to measure in an in vitro system the movement of Ca and phosphate (P_i) out of bone when treated with parathyroid hormone (PTH). Tibiae from 13-day chick embryos were incubated for up to 8 h in a defined medium containing 1.8 mM Ca. Medium samples were collected every 2 h and were analyzed for Ca, P_i and lactate. Net effluxes from the bones were calculated. When bones were incubated with PTH in the medium (1 U/ml), net Ca efflux was increased 44, 60 and 100% at 4, 6 and 8 h, respectively. At no time was net P_i efflux affected by the hormone. The well known PTH-stimulated lactate production was not seen until 8 h. Lower doses of PTH (0.1 and 0.3 U/ml) were also effective. Comparing PTH (1 U/ml) responsiveness at higher (2.2 mM) and lower (0.9 mM) medium Ca concentrations, showed that with 2.2 mM Ca no increased Ca efflux was seen, while with 0.9 mM Ca significant elevation in medium Ca occurred 2 h sooner than in the experiments using 1.8 mM Ca. In another experiment, varying the medium P_i level from 1 to 2 mM had no effect on the Ca response to PTH. In neither experiment was P_i release affected by PTH. The results of this study have led to the following conclusions: (1) PTH acts on bone to cause an early dose related increase in net Ca efflux; (2) the effect is specific for Ca, since it is not accompanied by an increased P_i efflux, and may be saturated by raising the medium Ca level; and (3) PTH-stimulated Ca efflux in this system is not correlated with, and is probably not a result of increased lactate production.