The effect of verapamil on the action of parathyroid hormone on embryonic bone in vitro.

Short term in vitro experiments showed that, added alone, verapamil inhibited both glycolysis and Ca uptake in embryonic chicken and rat bone cells. Added together with PTH, verapamil (0.02 MM) enhanced cAMP production, had no effect on lactate production, but significantly inhibited citrate, calcium and phosphate release from embryonic rat and mouse calvaria incubated under hypocalcemic conditions. The depression by verapamil of PTH-stimulated demineralization was confirmed histologically. It is concluded that in addition to cAMP, Ca plays a key role in the action of PTH on bone.