Hormonal regulation of calcium transport in thick ascending limb renal tubules

Net calcium efflux (JCanet) was compared in isolated perfused cortical and medullary segments of the thick ascending limb of Henle of the rabbit kidney. In response to the addition of calcitonin to the bathing medium, cortical segments showed no change in JCanet, whereas in medullary segments JCanet increased significantly. Similar studies substituting 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-BrcAMP) in concentrations of 10(-4) M or lower in the bath showed no effect on JCanet in either segment. When the concentration of 8-BrcAMP in the bath was increased to 10(-3) M, JCanet rose significantly in both segments. These results indicate heterogeneity of response to calcitonin in the cortical and medullary segments of the thick ascending limb of Henle, but a similar response of calcium transport to cAMP. Because we have previously shown that parathyroid hormone stimulates net calcium efflux in the cortical but not in the medullary segments of the thick ascending limb of Henle, the present observations suggest that cAMP may be the mediator of the actions of both calcitonin and parathyroid hormone.