Renal effects of calcitonin.

Porcine calcitonin in a slow-release gelatin vehicle was given by intramuscular injection to 10 patients-four with primary hyperparathyroidism, four with Paget's disease, and two with carcinoma of the breast and hypercalcaemia. All cases showed a fall in serum calcium with an immediate rise in urine calcium. All except three patients with primary hyperparathyroidism showed a fall in serum phosphorus, but an immediate rise in urine phosphorus occurred in all cases. Urine hydroxyproline output fell in three patients with severe Paget's disease. Urine sodium rose in all cases, but the effects on potassium, magnesium, water, and pH were not appreciably different from results obtained in four control subjects who were given the gelatin vehicle alone.The data suggest that calcitonin caused a decrease in the tubular resorption of calcium and phosphorus. The hypocalcaemic effect appeared to be due to a decrease in bone resorption in the patients with Paget's disease but in the remaining cases could be accounted for in part or entirely by the rise in urine calcium.