Parathyroid hormone desensitization in renal membranes of vitamin D-deficient rats is associated with a postreceptor defect.

We examined the characteristics of PTH resistance in vitamin D-deficient rats employing renal membranes in vitro. Homologous desensitization was characterized by diminished PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and was associated with a reduction in PTH-binding capacity, but not affinity. Heterologous desensitization was also seen, as manifested by decreased calcitonin (CT)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity with normal CT receptor binding. The reduced capacity of the nonhormonal effectors NaF and guanylylimidodiphosphate to stimulate adenylate cyclase indicated a postreceptor defect at the level of the guanyl nucleotide-binding protein (G protein), whereas a normal forskolin response was consistent with a fully functional catalytic component. The G protein deficiency was confirmed by demonstrating that the addition of extracts of vitamin D-sufficient membranes to preparations of vitamin D-deficient membranes restored the normal responses to NaF and guanylylimidodiphosphate. In addition, cholera toxin- and pertussis toxin-catalyzed labeling of vitamin D-deficient renal membranes with [32P]NAD revealed a decrease in both the stimulatory and inhibitory binding proteins. Experiments with testicular membranes in vitro indicated that the adenylate cyclase abnormality was absent in tissue lacking PTH receptors. The results suggest that a major contribution to PTH resistance in vitamin D-deficient animals is a postreceptor defect at the level of the G proteins and that this defect is manifest only in tissue expressing the PTH receptor.