Autosomal dominant hypocalcaemia caused by a Ca(2+)-sensing receptor gene mutation.

Defects in the human Ca(2+)-sensing receptor gene have recently been shown to cause familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism. We now demonstrate that a missense mutation (Glu128Ala) in this gene causes familial hypocalcaemia in affected members of one family. Xenopus oocytes expressing the mutant receptor exhibit a larger increase in inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate in response to Ca2+ than oocytes expressing the wild-type receptor. We conclude that this extracellular domain mutation increases the receptor's activity at low Ca2+ concentrations, causing hypocalcaemia in patients heterozygous for such a mutation.

A mouse model of human familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism.

Mice lacking the calcium-sensing receptor (Casr) were created to examine the receptor's role in calcium homeostasis and to elucidate the mechanism by which inherited human Casr gene defects cause diseases. Casr+/- mice, analogous to humans with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, had benign and modest elevations of serum calcium, magnesium and parathyroid hormone levels as well as hypocalciuria. In contrast, Casr-/- mice, like humans with neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism, had markedly elevated serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, parathyroid hyperplasia, bone abnormalities, retarded growth and premature death. Our findings suggest that Casr mutations cause these human disorders by reducing the number of functional receptor molecules on the cell surface.

Functional characterization of calcium-sensing receptor mutations expressed in human embryonic kidney cells.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor that plays a key role in extracellular calcium ion homeostasis. We have engineered 11 CaR mutants that have been described in the disorders familial benign hypercalcemia (FBH), neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT), and autosomal dominant hypocalcaemia (ADH), and studied their function by characterizing intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i transients in response to varying concentrations of extracellular calcium [Ca2+]o or gadolinium [Gd3+]o. The wild type receptor had an EC50 for calcium (EC50[Ca2+]o) (the value of [Ca2+]o producing half of the maximal increase in [Ca2+]i) of 4.0 mM (+/- 0.1 SEM). However, five missense mutations associated with FBH or NSHPT, (P55L, N178D, P221S, R227L, and V817I) had significantly higher EC50[Ca2+]os of between 5.5 and 9.3 mM (all P < 0.01). Another FBH mutation, Y218S, had an EC50[Ca2+]o of > 50 mM but had only a mildly attenuated response to gadolinium, while the FBH mutations, R680C and P747fs, were unresponsive to either calcium or gadolinium. In contrast, three mutations associated with ADH, (F128L, T151M, and E191K), showed significantly reduced EC50[Ca2+]os of between 2.2 and 2.8 mM (all P < 0.01). These findings provide insights into the functional domains of the CaR and demonstrate that mutations which enhance or reduce the responsiveness of the CaR to [Ca2+]o cause the disorders ADH, FBH, and NSHPT, respectively.

In vivo and in vitro characterization of neonatal hyperparathyroidism resulting from a de novo, heterozygous mutation in the Ca2+-sensing receptor gene: normal maternal calcium homeostasis as a cause of secondary hyperparathyroidism in familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia.

We characterized the in vivo, cellular and molecular pathophysiology of a case of neonatal hyperparathyroidism (NHPT) resulting from a de novo, heterozygous missense mutation in the gene for the extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+(o))-sensing receptor (CaR). The female neonate presented with moderately severe hypercalcemia, markedly undermineralized bones, and multiple metaphyseal fractures. Subtotal parathyroidectomy was performed at 6 wk; hypercalcemia recurred rapidly but the bone disease improved gradually with reversion to an asymptomatic state resembling familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FBHH). Dispersed parathyroid cells from the resected tissue showed a set-point (the level of Ca2+(o) half maximally inhibiting PTH secretion) substantially higher than for normal human parathyroid cells (approximately 1.8 vs. approximately 1.0 mM, respectively); a similar increase in set-point was observed in vivo. The proband's CaR gene showed a missense mutation (R185Q) at codon 185, while her normocalcemic parents were homozygous for wild type (WT) CaR sequence. Transient expression of the mutant R185Q CaR in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells revealed a substantially attenuated Ca2+(o)-evoked accumulation of total inositol phosphates (IP), while cotransfection of normal and mutant receptors showed an EC50 (the level of Ca2+(o) eliciting a half-maximal increase in IPs) 37% higher than for WT CaR alone (6.3+/-0.4 vs. 4.6+/-0.3 mM Ca2+(o), respectively). Thus this de novo, heterozygous CaR mutation may exert a dominant negative action on the normal CaR, producing NHPT and more severe hypercalcemia than typically seen with FBHH. Moreover, normal maternal calcium homeostasis promoted additional secondary hyperparathyroidism in the fetus, contributing to the severity of the NHPT in this case with FBHH.

Primary hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid-targeted overexpression of cyclin D1 in transgenic mice.

The relationship between abnormal cell proliferation and aberrant control of hormonal secretion is a fundamental and poorly understood issue in endocrine cell neoplasia. Transgenic mice with parathyroid-targeted overexpression of the cyclin D1 oncogene, modeling a gene rearrangement found in human tumors, were created to determine whether a primary defect in this cell-cycle regulator can cause an abnormal relationship between serum calcium and parathyroid hormone response, as is typical of human primary hyperparathyroidism. We also sought to develop an animal model of hyperparathyroidism and to examine directly cyclin D1's role in parathyroid tumorigenesis. Parathyroid hormone gene regulatory region--cyclin D1 (PTH--cyclin D1) mice not only developed abnormal parathyroid cell proliferation, but also developed chronic biochemical hyperparathyroidism with characteristic abnormalities in bone and, notably, a shift in the relationship between serum calcium and PTH. Thus, this animal model of human primary hyperparathyroidism provides direct experimental evidence that overexpression of the cyclin D1 oncogene can drive excessive parathyroid cell proliferation and that this proliferative defect need not occur solely as a downstream consequence of a defect in parathyroid hormone secretory control by serum calcium, as had been hypothesized. Instead, primary deregulation of cell-growth pathways can cause both the hypercellularity and abnormal control of hormonal secretion that are almost inevitably linked together in this common disorder.

The calcium sensing receptor is directly involved in both osteoclast differentiation and apoptosis.

Intracellular transduction pathways that are dependent on activation of the CaR by Ca(o)2+ have been studied extensively in parathyroid and other cell types, and include cytosolic calcium, phospholipases C, A2, and D, protein kinase C isoforms and the cAMP/protein kinase A system. In this study, using bone marrow cells isolated from CaR-/- mice as well as DN-CaR-transfected RAW 264.7 cells, we provide evidence that expression of the CaR plays an important role in osteoclast differentiation. We also establish that activation of the CaR and resultant stimulation of PLC are involved in high Ca(o)2+-induced apoptosis of mature rabbit osteoclasts. Similar to RANKL, Ca(o)2+ (20 mM) appeared to trigger rapid and significant nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB in a CaR- and PLC-dependent manner. In summary, our data suggest that stimulation of the CaR may play a pivotal role in the control of both osteoclast differentiation and apoptosis in the systems studied here through a signaling pathway involving activation of the CaR, phospholipase C, and NF-kappaB.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein stimulate surfactant phospholipid synthesis in rat fetal lung, apparently by a mesenchymal-epithelial mechanism.

We examined the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) on rat fetal lung fibroblast and pneumocyte cell signalling. We also studied the effects of PTH and PTHrP on surfactant phospholipid synthesis to determine whether these peptides can modulate pulmonary maturation. Exposure of fibroblasts (gestational days 18-21) to PTH(1-34) or PTHrP(1-34) produced time- and dose-dependent stimulations of cAMP and inositol phosphate accumulation. Maximal stimulation of cAMP accumulation occurred with 1 x 10(-8) M of either peptide. These effects upon cAMP accumulation were competitively inhibited by the PTH antagonist, [Nle8, Nle18, Tyr34]bPTH(3-34)amide. Maximal stimulation of fibroblast inositol phosphates was reached at 1 x 10(-7) M of either peptide. In contrast, PTH and PTHrP at these concentrations produced no changes in cAMP or inositol phosphate metabolism in isolated type II pneumocytes. When pneumocytes were exposed to PTH or PTHrP and pulse-labelled with [methyl-3H]choline chloride, no hormone-stimulated changes in saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis were detected. However, PTH and PTHrP stimulated saturated PC synthesis in rat fetal lung explants (gestational day 19-20) by 46% and 106%, respectively. When fibroblasts and pneumocytes were co-cultured, PTH and PTHrP again stimulated saturated PC synthesis by 45% and 73%, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggest that PTH and PTHrP may be endocrine and/or paracrine regulators of fetal lung development.

Calcium-sensing receptor expression and regulation by extracellular calcium in the AtT-20 pituitary cell line.

A 120 kDa, G protein-coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) was recently identified and cloned from bovine parathyroid and rat kidney. We report here that a similar calcium-sensing receptor is also present in rat and mouse pituitary as well as in the mouse pituitary cell line, AtT-20. Fragments (383-bp) of the extracellular domain of the calcium-sensing receptor from the AtT-20 cells and mouse pituitary were amplified by RT-PCR, sequenced, and found to be identical. By Northern blot analysis, AtT-20 cells expressed a major CaR mRNA transcript of 7.5 kb and three minor transcripts of 9.5, 4.0, and 1.5 kb. Except for the 9.5-kb species, these CaR transcripts were also found to be present in mouse kidney, where the 7.5-kb transcript was again the predominant form. The presence of the CaR protein in AtT-20 cells was documented directly by fluorescence immunocytochemistry using an antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the CaR. Exposure of AtT-20 cells to increasing extracellular calcium concentrations from 0.3 t 3 mM for 24 h resulted in a 2- to 4-fold increase in the levels of CaR mRNA, but not of the RNAs for beta-actin or POMC. The CaR appeared to be functional in AtT-20 cells, since acute increases in extracellular calcium between 2 and 5 mM induced increases in the cellular content of total inositol phosphates, cytosolic calcium, and cAMP. This report suggests that pituitary cells respond to changes in extracellular calcium via a G protein-coupled CaR.

Effects of high extracellular calcium concentrations on phosphoinositide turnover and inositol phosphate metabolism in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

We previously showed that high extracellular calcium (Ca2+) concentrations raise the levels of inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells, presumably via the G protein-coupled, "receptor-like" mechanism through which Ca2+ is thought to regulate these cells. To date, however, there are limited data showing Ca(2+)-evoked hydrolysis of phosphoinositides with attendant increases in the levels of the biologically active 1,4,5 isomer of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) that would be predicted to arise from such a receptor-mediated process. In the present studies we used HPLC and TLC, respectively, to quantify the high Ca(2+)-induced changes in various inositol phosphates, including the isomers of IP3, and phosphoinositides in bovine parathyroid cells prelabeled with [3H]inositol. In the absence of lithium, high Ca2+ dose dependently elevated the levels of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate [I(1,4,5)P3], with a maximal, 4- to 5-fold increase within 5 s; the levels of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate [I(1,3,4)P3] first rose significantly at 5-10 s and remained 5- to 10-fold elevated for at least 30 minutes. These changes were accompanied by reciprocal 29-36% decreases in PIP2 (within 5-10 s, the earliest time points examined), PIP (within 60 s), and PI (within 60 s). These results document that, as in other cells responding to more classic "Ca(2+)-mobilizing" hormones, the high Ca(2+)-evoked increases in inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells arise from the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides, leading to the rapid accumulation of the active isomer of IP3. The latter presumably underlies the concomitant spike in the cytosolic calcium concentration (Ca(i)) in parathyroid cells.

Phorbol esters modulate the high Ca2(+)-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells.

We examined the effects of TPA on the high Ca2(+)-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells to determine whether protein kinase C modulates phosphoinositide turnover in a fashion similar to that observed in other cell types stimulated by more classic Ca2+ mobilizing hormones. Following exposure of parathyroid cells to TPA (10(-6) M) for 10 or 30 minutes, there was a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of the accumulation of inositol monophosphate (IP), inositol bisphosphate (IP2) and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) stimulated by 3 mM Ca2+. Half the maximal observed inhibition took place at 1-10 nM TPA, with 50-60% inhibition of high Ca2(+)-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates at 10(-6) M TPA. The active phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol didecanoate, produced similar effects; the inactive derivative, 4 alpha-phorbol didecanoate, was without effect. When parathyroid cells were exposed to TPA (10(-6) M) for varying times and were then incubated with high (3 mM) Ca2+, inhibition of inositol phosphate accumulation was observed with 10 or 30 minutes preincubation. In contrast, preincubation of cells with TPA for 3 or 18 h markedly enhanced the high (3 mM) Ca2(+)-induced increase in inositol phosphates. In cells preincubated with TPA for 18 h, binding sites for [3H]phorbol dibutyrate and total protein kinase C (PKC) activity were reduced by greater than 95% and by 71%, respectively, consistent with downregulation of the enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Extracellular calcium (Ca2+o)-sensing receptor in a mouse monocyte-macrophage cell line (J774): potential mediator of the actions of Ca2+o on the function of J774 cells.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G protein-coupled receptor that plays key roles in extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+o) homeostasis in parathyroid gland and kidney. Macrophage-like mononuclear cells appear at sites of osteoclastic bone resorption during bone remodeling and may play a role in the "reversal" phase following osteoclastic resorption and preceding bone formation. Bone resorption produces substantial local increases in Ca2+o that could provide a signal for bone marrow mononuclear cells in the vicinity, leading us to investigate whether such mononuclear cells express the CaR. In this study, we used the mouse J774 cell line, which exhibits a pure monocyte-macrophage phenotype. Both immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, using polyclonal antisera specific for the CaR, detected CaR protein in J774 cells. The use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with CaR-specific primers, including a set of intron-spanning primers, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplified products, also identified CaR transcripts in J774 cells. Exposure of J774 cells to high Ca2+o (2.8 mM or more) or the polycationic CaR agonist, neomycin (100 microM), stimulated both chemotaxis and DNA synthesis in J774 cells. Therefore, taken together, our data strongly suggest that the monocyte-macrophage cell line, J774, possesses both CaR protein and mRNA very similar, if not identical, to those in parathyroid and kidney.

Polyarginine, polylysine, and protamine mimic the effects of high extracellular calcium concentrations on dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

We investigated the effects of the basic peptides polyarginine, protamine, and polylysine on dispersed bovine parathyroid cells. All three peptides produced a dose-dependent inhibition of dopamine-stimulated cAMP accumulation, with half-maximal inhibition at 4 x 10(-8), 1.5 x 10(-7), 3 x 10(-7), and 2 x 10(-6) M, respectively, for polyarginine, protamine, and two preparations of polylysine of molecular weights 10,200 and 3800. The inhibition of cAMP accumulation was reversible and was blocked by preincubating the cells overnight with 0.5 micrograms/ml of pertussis toxin. The same peptides also inhibited PTH release at similar concentrations, markedly stimulated the accumulation of inositol phosphates at two- to threefold higher concentrations, and produced transient increases in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Cai) in fura-2-loaded parathyroid cells. The polylysine-evoked spike in Cai persisted despite the removal of extracellular Ca2+, indicating that it arose from intracellular Ca2+ stores. Exposure of the cells to elevated extracellular magnesium (Mg2+) concentrations elicited a similar spike in Cai but blocked the Cai transient in response to subsequent addition of polylysine, or vice versa. Thus, Mg2+ and polylysine mobilize Ca2+ from the same intracellular store(s). These results indicate that highly basic peptides closely mimic the effects of polyvalent cations on parathyroid function, suggesting that both agents may regulate parathyroid function via similar biochemical pathways.

The Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR) activates phospholipases C, A2, and D in bovine parathyroid and CaR-transfected, human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells.

The extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+(o))-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G protein-coupled receptor that activates phospholipase C (PLC). In the present studies, we assessed Ca2+(o)-dependent changes in the generation of inositol phosphates (IP), free arachidonic acid (AA), and phosphatidylbutanol (PtdBtOH) by PLC, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), and phospholipase D (PLD), respectively, in bovine parathyroid cells as well as in wild-type or CaR-transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells (HEK-WT and HEK-CaR, respectively). Elevated Ca2+(o) increased the formation of IPs in parathyroid cells as well in HEK-CaR but not in HEK-WT cells. High Ca2+(o) also elicited time- and dose-dependent increases in PtdBtOH in parathyroid cells and HEK-CaR but not in HEK-WT cells. Brief treatment of parathyroid and HEK-CaR cells with an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), phorbol 12-myristate,13-acetate (PMA), stimulated PLD activity at both low and high Ca2+(o). Moreover, high Ca2+(o)-stimulated PLD activity was abolished following down-regulation of PKC by overnight phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) pretreatment, suggesting that CaR-mediated activation of PLD depends largely upon stimulation of PKC. High Ca2+(o) likewise increased the release of free AA in parathyroid and HEK-CaR but not in HEK-WT cells. Mepacrine, a general PLA2 inhibitor, and AACOCF3, an inhibitor of cytosolic PLA2, reduced AA release in parathyroid cells at high Ca2+(o), suggesting a major role for PLA2 in high Ca2+(o)-elicited AA release. Pretreatment of parathyroid cells with PMA stimulated release of AA at low and high Ca2+(o), while a PKC inhibitor, chelerythrine, reduced AA release at high Ca2+(o) to the level observed with low Ca2+(o) alone. Thus, PKC contributes importantly to the high Ca2+(o)-evoked, CaR-mediated activation of not only PLD but also PLA2. Finally, high Ca2+(o)-stimulated production of IP, PtdBtOH, and AA all decreased substantially in parathyroid cells cultured for 4 days, in which expression of the CaR decreases by 80% or more, consistent with mediation of these effects by the receptor. Thus, the CaR activates, directly or indirectly, at least three phospholipases in bovine parathyroid and CaR-transfected HEK293 cells, providing for coordinate, receptor-mediated regulation of multiple signal transduction pathways in parathyroid and presumably other CaR-expressing cells.

Mouse osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1) expresses extracellular calcium (Ca2+o)-sensing receptor and its agonists stimulate chemotaxis and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G protein-coupled receptor that plays key roles in extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+o) homeostasis in parathyroid gland and kidney. Osteoblasts appear at sites of osteoclastic bone resorption during bone remodeling in the "reversal" phase following osteoclastic resorption and preceding bone formation. Bone resorption produces substantial local increases in Ca2+o that could provide a signal for osteoblasts in the vicinity, leading us to determine whether such osteoblasts express the CaR. In this study, we used the mouse osteoblastic, clonal cell line MC3T3-E1. Both immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, using an antiserum specific for the CaR, detected CaR protein in MC3T3-E1 cells. We also identified CaR transcripts in MC3T3-E1 cells by Northern analysis using a CaR-specific riboprobe and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with CaR-specific primers, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplified products. Exposure of MC3T3-E1 cells to high Ca2+o (up to 4.8 mM) or the polycationic CaR agonists, neomycin and gadolinium (Gd3+), stimulated both chemotaxis and DNA synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells. Therefore, taken together, our data strongly suggest that the osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 possesses both CaR protein and mRNA very similar, if not identical, to those in parathyroid and kidney. Furthermore, the CaR in these osteoblasts could play a key role in regulating bone turnover by stimulating the proliferation and migration of such cells to sites of bone resorption as a result of local release of Ca2+o.

Expression of an extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in human and mouse bone marrow cells.

The cloning of a G protein-coupled, extracellular calcium (Ca2+e)-sensing receptor (CaR) from bovine parathyroid provided direct evidence that Ca2+e-sensing can occur through receptor-mediated activation of G proteins and their associated downstream regulators of cellular function. CaR transcripts and protein are present in various tissues of humans and other mammals that are involved in Ca2+e homeostasis, including parathyroid, kidney, and thyroidal C-cells. The present study was performed to determine whether bone marrow cells express the CaR, since cells within the marrow space could be exposed to substantial changes in Ca2+e related to bone turnover. Using DNA and RNA probes from the human parathyroid CaR cDNA, we identified CaR transcripts of 5.2 and approximately 4.0 kilobases by Northern analysis of poly(A+) RNA from low-density mononuclear cells isolated from whole human bone marrow that are putatively enriched in marrow progenitor cells, including bone cell precursors. In situ hybridization also identified CaR transcripts in the same cell preparations. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated > 99% nucleotide identity between transcripts from human bone marrow cells and the corresponding regions of the human CaR cDNA. Antisera specific for several different regions within the extracellular domain of the CaR were reactive with low-density human marrow cells that were either adherent or nonadherent to plastic. About one-third of the adherent, CaR-immunoreactive cells were also positive for alkaline phosphatase, a nonspecific marker of preosteoblasts, osteoblasts, and assorted cells of the colony-forming unit-fibroblast lineage. In addition, a substantial fraction (approximately 60%) of low density murine marrow cells cultured for 1 week at 4.8 mM Ca2+e expressed both CaR immunoreactivity and nonspecific esterase, an enzyme expressed by monocyte/macrophages and fibroblasts. Finally, erythroid precursors and megakaryocytes from murine marrow as well as blood platelets expressed abundant CaR immunoreactivity, while peripheral blood erythrocytes and most polymorphonuclear leukocytes did not. These studies indicate that the CaR is present in low-density mononuclear bone marrow cells as well as in cells of several hematopoietic lineages and could potentially play a role in controlling the function of various cell types within the marrow space.

Cloning and characterization of a calcium-sensing receptor from the hypercalcemic New Zealand white rabbit reveals unaltered responsiveness to extracellular calcium.

The extracellular Ca2+ (Ca(0)2+)-sensing receptor (CaR) recently cloned from mammalian parathyroid, kidney, brain, and thyroid plays a central role in maintaining near constancy of Ca(0)2+. We previously showed that the hypercalcemia normally present in New Zealand white rabbits is associated with an elevated set point for Ca(02+)-regulated PTH release (the level of Ca(0)2+ half-maximally inhibiting hormonal secretion). This observation suggested an alteration in the Ca(02+)-sensing mechanism in the rabbit parathyroid, a possibility we have now pursued by isolating and characterizing the rabbit homolog of the CaR. The cloned rabbit kidney CaR (RabCaR) shares a high degree of overall homology (> 90% amino acid identity) with the bovine, human, and rat CaRs, although it differs slightly in several regions of the extracellular domain potentially involved in binding ligands. By Northern analysis and/or immunohistochemistry, a similar or identical receptor is also expressed in parathyroid, thyroid C cells, small and large intestine, and in the thick ascending limb and collecting ducts of the kidney. When expressed transiently in HEK293 cells and assayed functionally through CaR agonist-evoked increases in Ca(i)2+, the rabbit CaR shows apparent affinities for Ca(0)2+, Mg(0)2+, and Gd(0)3+ that are indistinguishable from those observed in studies carried out concomitantly using the human CaR. Therefore, at least as assessed by its ability to increase Ca(i)2+ when expressed in HEK293 cells, the intrinsic functional properties of the rabbit CaR cannot explain the hypercalcemia observed in vivo in the New Zealand white rabbit.

Relationship between diacylglycerol levels and extracellular Ca2+ in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

In parathyroid cells, high extracellular Ca2+ promotes a rapid increase in inositol trisphosphate (IP3), suggesting activation of phospholipase C. Available data, however, indicate a high Ca2+-induced decrease in sn-1,2-diacylglycerol (DG), rather than the increase expected with hydrolysis of phosphoinositides. To explore this apparent discrepancy between IP3 and DG, we used three methods to quantify DG levels in parathyroid cells in response to high Ca2+ over the time course when IP3 levels increase. A simple enzymatic method was developed for the quantitation of the mass of DG present in crude lipid extracts. The assay employed rat brain DG kinase and defined mixed micellar conditions to solubilize the DG present and allow its quantitative conversion to [32P]phosphatidic acid. [32P]Phosphatidic acid formed in the assay was directly proportional to the amount of DG added over the range of 25 pmol to 25 nmol or to the number of parathyroid cells (5 X 10(5) to 2 X 10(6) cells). Parathyroid cells were also labeled with [3H]glycerol (24 h) or [3H]arachidonic acid (2 or 18 h) and exposed to various extracellular Ca2+ concentrations for different times. The total lipids were then extracted and separated by TLC. Using each of the three methods to measure DG, parathyroid cells showed a rapid increase in DG when extracellular Ca2+ was increased from 0.5 to 2.0 or 3.0 mM. The maximal increase occurred at 5-20 s. The levels of DG at high Ca2+ then decreased to levels 20-50% higher than those at 0.5 mM Ca2+ from 60 sec to 10 min. DG levels remained higher at 2-3 mM Ca2+ than at 0.5 mM Ca2+ even at 30 min. Similar results were obtained in 10 independent experiments with the kinase method, 7 independent experiments with the [3H]glycerol method, and 12 independent experiments with the [3H]arachidonic acid method. These results show the high Ca2+ rapidly increases intracellular levels of DG as well as IP3 in bovine parathyroid cells, consistent with activation of phospholipase C. Thus, the initial rapid decrease in PTH release at high Ca2+ is not caused by a concomitant decrease in DG, but is presumably related to additional inhibitory mechanisms that override the high Ca2+-induced increases in DG and cytosolic Ca2+.

A comparison of the effects of divalent and trivalent cations on parathyroid hormone release, 3',5'-cyclic-adenosine monophosphate accumulation, and the levels of inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells.

We compared the effects of a series of di- and trivalent cations on various aspects of parathyroid function to investigate whether these polyvalent cations act on the parathyroid cell through a similar mechanism. Like high extracellular concentrations of Ca2+, high levels of barium (Ba2+), strontium (Sr2+), gadolinium (Gd3+), europium (Eu3+), terbium (Tb3+), and ytterbium (Yb3+) [corrected] each inhibited low calcium-stimulated PTH release and showed IC50 values (the concentration producing half of the maximal inhibitory effect) of 1.12 mM, 1.18 mM, 2.2 microM, 2.5 microM, 0.89 microM, and 15 microM, respectively. The inhibitory effects of both divalent (Ca2+ and Ba2+) and trivalent (Gd3+) cations were reversible by 76-100% after removal of the cation, suggesting that the polyvalent cation-mediated reduction in PTH release was not due to nonspecific toxicity. The same di- and trivalent cations produced an 80-90% decrease in agonist-stimulated cAMP accumulation with a similar order of potency as for their effects on PTH release. Preincubation overnight with pertussis toxin totally prevented the inhibitory effects of the trivalent cations on cAMP accumulation. The same di- and trivalent cations also increased the accumulation of inositol monophosphate, inositol bisphosphate, and inositol trisphosphate. Their effects on this parameter differed from those on PTH release and cAMP accumulation in several respects. First, Ba2+ and Sr2+, rather than being equipotent with Ca2+, were about 2-fold less potent in increasing the levels of inositol phosphates. Second, the trivalent cations were 5-50-fold less potent in raising inositol phosphates than in modulating PTH release and cAMP accumulation, and all were nearly equipotent. These results show that trivalent cations of the lanthanide series mimic the actions of divalent cations on several aspects of parathyroid function, and likely do so by interacting with the cell surface "Ca2(+)-receptor-like mechanism" through which extracellular Ca2+ has been postulated to act. The pharmacology of the effects of these polyvalent cations on cAMP and PTH release are similar and differ from that for their actions on inositol phosphate metabolism, raising the possibility that there might be more than one form of the putative Ca2+ receptor.

Extracellular calcium (Ca2+(o))-sensing receptor in a murine bone marrow-derived stromal cell line (ST2): potential mediator of the actions of Ca2+(o) on the function of ST2 cells.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G protein-coupled receptor that plays key roles in extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+(o)) homeostasis by mediating the actions of Ca2+(o) on parathyroid gland and kidney. Bone marrow stromal cells support the formation of osteoclasts from their progenitors as well as the growth of hematopoietic stem cells by secreting humoral factors and through cell to cell contact. Stromal cells also have the capacity to differentiate into bone-forming osteoblasts. Bone resorption by osteoclasts probably produces substantial local increases in Ca2+(o) that could provide a signal for stromal cells in the immediate vicinity, leading us to determine whether such stromal cells express the CaR. In this study, we used the murine bone marrow-derived, stromal cell line, ST2. Both immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, using an antiserum specific for the CaR, detected CaR protein in ST2 cells. We also identified CaR transcripts in ST2 cells by Northern analysis using a CaR-specific probe and by RT-PCR with CaR-specific primers, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplified products. Exposure of ST2 cells to high Ca2+(o) (4.8 mM) or to the polycationic CaR agonists, neomycin (300 microM) or gadolinium (100 microM), stimulated both chemotaxis and DNA synthesis in ST2 cells. Therefore, taken together, our data strongly suggest that the bone marrow-derived stromal cell line, ST2, possesses both CaR protein and messenger RNA that are very similar if not identical to those in parathyroid and kidney. Furthermore, as ST2 cells have the potential to differentiate into osteoblasts, the CaR in stromal cells could participate in bone turnover by stimulating the proliferation and migration of such cells to sites of bone resorption as a result of local, osteoclast-mediated release of Ca2+(o) and, thereafter, initiating bone formation after their differentiation into osteoblasts.

Neomycin mimics the effects of high extracellular calcium concentrations on parathyroid function in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

We examined the effects of the polycationic antibiotic, neomycin, on the function of dispersed bovine parathyroid cells. Neomycin caused a reversible, dose-dependent inhibition of low calcium (Ca++)-stimulated PTH release, with half-maximal inhibition at 30 microM. Maximal inhibition (with 200 microM neomycin) was not additive with the suppressive effects of high (2 mM) Ca++. Neomycin also inhibited dopamine-stimulated cAMP accumulation by 90-98% at 100-200 microM, with a half-maximal effect at 40-50 microM. This action was reversible and was blocked by preincubating the cells overnight with 0.5 microgram/ml pertussis toxin. In addition to its suppressive effects on cAMP metabolism and PTH release, neomycin stimulated the accumulation of inositol phosphates and produced a transient increase in the cytosolic Ca++ concentration (Cai) in fura-2-loaded parathyroid cells. The neomycin-evoked spike in Cai persisted despite removal of extracellular Ca++, indicating that it arises from intracellular Ca++ stores. Exposure of cells to elevated magnesium (Mg++) concentrations elicited a similar spike in Cai but blocked the spike in Cai in response to subsequent addition of neomycin and vice versa. Thus, Mg++ and neomycin mobilize Ca++ from the same intracellular store(s). These results indicate that a polycation, neomycin, closely mimics the effects of polyvalent cations on parathyroid function, suggesting that both agents regulate parathyroid function via similar biochemical pathways.