Effects of ipriflavone on calcitonin synthesis in C cells of the rat thyroid.

Ipriflavone is known to stimulate calcitonin (CT) secretion from the thyroid glands of female animals, but the exact mechanism of this action remains unknown. In the present study, an increase of CT production in thyroid C cells of female rats, but not of male rats, was proven immunohistochemically. Furthermore, the parallel increase of CT mRNA in those thyroid glands was confirmed by Northern blot analysis. These results proved that ipriflavone stimulates not only CT secretion but also CT synthesis in thyroid C cells and that the changes were gender dependent (greater in females). In order to investigate the effect of estrogen on the ipriflavone-induced increase of CT in female rat thyroid gland, CT and CT mRNA in the thyroid glands of untreated, ovariectomized, and estrone-treated (postovariectomy) rats were examined by both immunohistochemistry and Northern blot technique. Serum levels of CT and calcium were also examined. Against expectation, estrone failed to produce any significant effect on the ability of ipriflavone to induce CT synthesis and secretion.