Role of calcitonin in the rapid minute-to-minute regulation of plasma Ca2+ homeostasis in the rat

Background Plasma ionized calcium (Ca2+ ) is maintained at a very stable concentration in mammals. The hormones or factors involved in the very rapid regulation of calcium homeostasis are still debated. Thus, previous results from our laboratory have clearly shown that parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25(OH)(2) D-3 are not responsible for the rapid up-regulation of plasma Ca2+ after a brief induction of hypocalcaemia. The present investigation therefore examined in vivo the possible role of calcitonin (CT) in the very rapid, minute-to-minute regulation of plasma Ca2+ in rats. Study design The rapid calcaemic response to acute thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTX) and to acute selective thyroidectomy (TX) (n = 10), as well as the possible effect of CT on the very rapid recovery of plasma Ca2+ after termination of a brief induction of hypocalcaemia were studied. Hypocalcaemia was induced by a 30-min EGTA infusion in rats in three different protocols: 1 h after TPTX (n = 9) compared with control TPTX rats not given EGTA (n = 13); 1 h after TX (n = 7); and 1 h after TPTX, but during supplementation with exogenous CT (n = 8) and compared with the response in TPTX rats infused with vehicle (n = 8). Results An immediate and significant increase of plasma Ca2+ was found after TPTX (P < 0.01) as well as after selective TX (P < 0.01) in the nonfasting rats. Significant hypercalcaemia (P < 0.05) was still present in rats fasting for 2 days before these procedures, but the increase in plasma Ca2+ was considerably less (P < 0.01). After induction of a brief period of hypocalcaemia by infusion of EGTA a significant (P < 0.01) and rapid recovery of plasma Ca2+ took place within 10 min and a further increase within the next 60 min (P < 0.01), whether or not the rats were normal, TPTX, TX or were supplemented by CT during the experiments. The plasma Ca2+ recovery curves after termination of a brief induction of hypocalcaemia all had similar appearances, indicating that presence or absence of CT had no influence on this very rapid Ca2+ recovery after induction of hypocalcaemia. Conclusions Acute removal of the tonus of CT results in an acute increase in plasma Ca2+ for up to 3 h. This effect of CT is probably mainly related to the postprandial maintenance of normocalcaemia, but is also seen in fasting rats, although to a lesser degree. The very rapid calcaemic recovery after discontinuation of a brief induction of hypocalcaemia is, however, not a result of suppressed plasma calcitonin levels.