The effect of oestrogens on human calcitonin secretion after calcium infusion in elderly female subjects.

The effect of oestrogen administration (4-6 weeks) on the response of human calcitonin (hCT) secretion to 5 min calcium infusions was studied in ten elderly women. There was no significant difference in mean basal plasma hCT levels before and after oestrogen administration. However, the mean increment in plasma hCT in response to calcium infusion (delta hCT) increased significantly (P < 0.001) from 21.9 +/- 6.6 (mean +/- SE) before treatment, to 79.6 +/- 15.5 ng/l after oestrogen administration. Mean serum calcium levels decreased significantly (P < 0.001) from 2.42 +/- 0.06 before to 2.19 +/- 0.07 mmol/l after oestrogen treatment. Mean plasma immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) levels increased significantly (P < 0.05) from 521 +/- 41 before to 696 +/- 96 ng/l after oestrogen treatment. To exclude out the possibility that the decreased serum calcium level itself might have influenced delta hCT, 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1 alpha-OH-D3) was administered with oestrogens. While this resulted in a slight increase in serum calcium level, there was no significant difference in delta hCT in response to calcium infusion following oestrogen treatment alone, and after combination therapy of oestrogen and 1 alpha-OH-D3. The primary action of administered oestrogen may be in stimulating hCT secretion which results in a decrease in plasma calcium concentration and an increase in plasma iPTH level.