title: Calcium blood level modulates endogenous nitric oxide action: effects of parathroidectomy in patients with hyperparathyroidism.
abstract: Platelet cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is produced by soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), the activity of which is modulated by the activity of nitric oxide (NO) constitutive synthase (cNOS) which, in turn, is activated by a calcium/calmodulin complex. In primary hyperparathyroidism (H-PTH) an increase in platelet free calcium levels is present. In this study we evaluate the platelet cGMP levels, as an expression of NO production, in the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) alone (IBMXcGMP) and after stimulation by ionomycine (IONO; IONOcGMP) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP; SNPcGMP), in eight subjects affected by H-PTH before and after removal of adenoma. Platelet cGMP levels were also measured in seven normal subjects. IBMXcGMP and IONOcGMP were elevated in H-PTH patients compared with normal subjects (1.9 +/- 0.3 vs 0.8 +/- 0.2 fmol/10(6) platelets and 2.7 +/- 0.4 vs 1.4 +/- 0.3; P < 0.02 and P < 0.05 respectively) but SNPcGMP was unaffected (3.9 +/- 0.6 vs 2.5 +/- 0.5). After parathyroidectomy, blood levels of intact parathyroid hormone (i-PTH), total calcium (t-Ca), IBMXcGMP and IONOcGMP all decreased (177.5 +/- 23.9 vs 45.0 +/- 8.8 pg/ml, P < 0.005; 6.5 +/- 0.5 vs 4.6 +/- 0.1 mEq/1, P < 0.005; 1.9 +/- 0.3 vs 0.8 +/- 0.2, P < 0.005; 2.7 +/- 0.4 vs 1.8 +/ 0.3, P < 0.05 respectively), while SNPcGMP was not modified (3.9 +/- 0.6 vs 4.3 +/- 0.9). t-Ca and i-PTH were directly correlated with IBMXcGMP (P < 0.02, rs = 0.613; P < 0.02, rs = 0.576 respectively) and i-PTH was also correlated with t-Ca (P < 0.001), rs = 0.840).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) levels of IBMXcGMP and IONOcGMP are high in subjects with H-PTH; (2) after surgery both IBMXcGMP and IONOcGMP decrease to normal values. As IBMXcGMP expresses basal cGMP and IONOcGMP expresses the cGMP after cNOS stimulation, it can be speculated that the increase in NO production could be a mechanism to downregulate the vasoconstriction which may be caused by the high calcium levels in smooth muscle cells. After surgery, together with the normalization of calcium levels, NO production also returned to normal values.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi di Torino, Ospedale Molinette, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brancaleoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zumpano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fornengo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasparri
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Pescarmona
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D016105:Parathyroidectomy; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007476:Ionophores; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015759:Ionomycin; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine