Effects of parathyroid hormone on H+ and NH 4 + excretion in toad urinary bladder

Abstract

The urinary bladder ofBufo marinus excretes H⁺ and NH ₄ ⁺ , and the H⁺ excretion is increased after the animal is placed in metabolic acidosis. The present study was done to determine if parathyroid hormone could stimulate the bladder to increase the excretion of H⁺ and/or NH ₄ ⁺ . Parathyroid hormone added to the serosal solution in a final concentration of 10 μg/ml was found to increase H⁺ excretion by 50% above the control hemibladders, while there was no effect on NH ₄ ⁺ excretion. Parathyroid hormone had no effect on H⁺ excretion when added to the mucosal solution. We also performed experiments utilizing theophylline and dibutyryl cyclic AMP which mimicked those of the parathyroid hormone experiments. A dose-response analysis was performed and the results indicate that 1 μg/ml of parathyroid hormone was the minimal effective dose. These results suggest that parathyroid hormone can stimulate H⁺ excretion in the toad urinary bladder and this effect seems to be mediated by cyclic AMP. In addition, it was found that parathyroid hormone has no effect on NH ₄ ⁺ excretion.