Effect of acute and chronic metabolic acidosis on serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone in man.

The effects of acute and chronic metabolic acidosis on serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were studied. Acute metabolic acidosis induced by administration of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) produced a barely detectable increase in serum iPTH. Chronic NH4Cl administration produced a marked elevation of serum iPTH that was well correlated with the magnitude of acid-induced hypercalciuria but not with the degree of acidosis. Acetazolamide administration produced an equivalent degree of acidosis, but hypercalciuria was minimal and iPTH increased only marginally. Methionine administration caused moderate hypercalciuria and a significant but moderate increase in iPTH. Chronic NH4Cl-induced acidosis produced no hypercalciuria when dietary sodium intake was rigidly restricted, and under these conditions serum iPTH remained normal. When sodium intake was suddenly increased while maintaining the acid load, hypercalciuria appeared and was followed by progressive rise in serum iPTH equivalent to that observed during chronic NH4Cl-induced acidosis in subjects consuming salt ad lib. These results indicate that chronic acidosis elevates iPTH mainly by producing hypercalciuria and that acidosis itself is not a primary stimulus to PTH secretion.