Calcitonin and the kidney.

Calcitonin in pharmacologic doses influences the renal handling of electrolytes, especially phosphate and sodium. High-affinity receptors exist for calcitonin in the kidney and are probably linked to adenylate cyclase activation. Calcitonin accumulates in the serum in renal failure, and may have a role in modifying the expression of the bone disease of chronic renal failure. In chronic renal failure, calcitonin is present in the serum in multiple molecular forms but the biologic activity of each form is not known. Some immunoreactive calcitonin appears in the urine. The amount appearing in relation to calcitonin secretion rates requires further exploration.