Dual effects of calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide on intracellular cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate in a human breast cancer cell line.

The effects of salmon calcitonin (sCT) and human calcitonin (hCT) and of rat (r) and human (h) calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on intracellular cAMP accumulation were tested in human breast cancer cells (MCF7). In addition to the well known stimulatory effect, each showed a significant inhibitory effect on cAMP accumulation at low doses. cAMP concentrations in response to sCT, hCT, and rCGRP decreased to 47 +/- 2, 45 +/- 4, and 56 +/- 2% (mean +/- 1 SE) of baseline. The potency ratios for the inhibitory action of sCT, hCT, and rCGRP (1:0.25:0.005, respectively) were similar to the potency ratios for stimulatory action (1:0.3:0.005). The inhibition of cAMP accumulation developed at 300-fold lower peptide concentrations than the stimulation. Preincubation with pertussis toxin or with manganese completely abolished the inhibitory effect of the peptides, suggesting that this is mediated by an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein. sCT, hCT, and CGRP each showed unique patterns with regard to time course of inhibition of cAMP accumulation. We conclude that 1) CT can activate an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein and a stimulatory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein, and 2) CT effect on an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein in MCF 7 cells is evident at far lower hormone concentrations than its effect on a stimulatory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein.