Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide stimulates parathyroid hormone release by interaction with cyclic adenosine monophosphate production of bovine parathyroid cells.

Influence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and substance P was investigated on dispersed parathyroid cells of adult cattle. At a physiological concentration of extracellular calcium, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide stimulated the parathyroid hormone release in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no effects were noted for the other peptides. The dependency of PTH secretion upon extracellular calcium was shifted to the right by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide at 10(-6) mol/l, with a tendency for greater effects at low (0.5 mmol/l) than high concentrations (2.0-3.0 mmol/l) of the cation. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide significantly enhanced cAMP release of the parathyroid cells, whereas no influence was noted on cytoplasmic calcium or pH within the cells. The results suggest that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide stimulates the PTH release by interaction with cAMP production of the parathyroid cells. This effect may contribute to the development of hypercalcemia in patients with neuroendocrine tumours secreting vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.