Structural changes in parathyroid glands exposed to vitamin D metabolites in vitro.

Isolated parathyroid glands from normal adult Mongolian gerbils were incubated for 10 minutes to 16 1/2 hours at high, medium or low concentrations of Ca2+, with or without added 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1.25-DHCC) or 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-HCC), after which they were studied electron microscopically. 1,25-DHCC appeared to potentiate the inhibitory action of high calcium on parathyroid activity, whereas 25-HCC had no structurally detectable effect.