ROLE OF CALCITONIN IN PROTECTING THE SKELETON DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION

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Abstract
Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, The University, Southampton, SO9 3TU (Received 22 February 1975) In a preliminary experiment with thyroidectomized rats Lewis, Rafferty, Shelley & Robinson (1971) showed that calcitonin (CT) protects the skeleton from excessive resorption during pregnancy and lactation, and Barlet & Garel (1975) made similar observations with goats. The object of the present work was to seek confirmation of this effect and to investigate a possible role for vitamin D in the action of CT. Over a period of 2 weeks the parathyroid glands of female Wistar rats, initially 7 weeks of age, were removed under a dissecting microscope, cleaned of extraneous tissue and homotransplanted to the thigh muscle. Approximately 2 weeks after the operation the fasting plasma calcium level was determined and those animals with a concentration of 2·4 mmol/l or less were rejected on the assumption that the transplants had not been successful. The remaining

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