Pathogenesis of hypercalcemia in nude mice bearing a human renal carcinoma.

When grown as sc tumors in the nude (nu/nu) mouse, cells of the established human renal carcinoma cell line 786-0 produce hypercalcemia; this has an apparent humoral basis because it is reversed by resection of the primary tumor. We have investigated the pathogenesis of hypercalcemia in this model. Tumor-bearing mice were hypercalcemic (13.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.52 +/- 0.13 mg/dl in control mice) and hypophosphatemic (10.0 +/- 0.8 vs. 13.8 +/- 1.5 mg/dl in control mice; all values are mean +/- SEM). The serum concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was increased in tumor-bearing animals (70.0 +/- 9.3 vs. 43.8 +/- 4.8 pg/ml in control animals). Urinary excretion of cAMP was similar in control (33.7 +/- 1.4 nmol/mg creatinine) and tumor-bearing mice (38.2 +/- 4.7 nmol/mg creatinine). However, in the latter, the acute response of urinary cAMP to PTH was blunted. Although intestinal calcium transport in everted duodenal sacs in vitro was increased in tumor-bearing mice, hypercalcemia was unaffected by feeding the animals for 8 days a diet containing less than 0.02% calcium. Hence, absorption of dietary calcium did not play a significant role in maintenance of hypercalcemia. In hypercalcemic animals, the calcium content of the humerus was decreased (2.95 +/- 0.08 vs. 3.29 +/- 0.13 mg in controls; P less than 0.05). Quantitative histomorphometric analysis of the distal femoral metaphysis disclosed a significant reduction in trabecular bone volume in tumor-bearing mice (12.0 +/- 1.1% vs. 16.1 +/- 1.1% in controls; P less than 0.02). A strong trend for increased osteoclast surface and number was observed, suggesting that bone resorption was increased. Osteoblast surface and number were also somewhat increased, as was the rate of mineral apposition (2.55 +/- 0.14 vs. 1.91 +/- 0.04 micron/day in controls; P less than 0.01). Thus, the decrease in trabecular bone volume was associated with high turnover of bone, with an apparent net increase in bone resorption. We conclude that hypercalcemia in the nude mouse bearing human renal carcinoma cells is associated with increased bone resorption, high bone turnover, hypophosphatemia, and increased serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.