Ten commercially available parathormone (PTH) assays were competitively validated, using dilutional parallelism, intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation, and sensitivity and measured responses of 2 dogs to calcium and EDTA infusions. A 2-site immunoradiometric assay for intact human-PTH was superior to the others for estimating canine-PTH, met the criteria for validity, and was further investigated. A series of sample-handling studies was performed. Serum and plasma samples stored at 24 C lost 15% (n = 5; P less than 0.05) of PTH between 2 and 24 hours. This did not occur at 6 C. The mean PTH concentration of sera from blood samples clotted at 24 C was 6% (P less than 0.05) higher than equivalent EDTA samples. Serum samples stored at 6 and 37 C deteriorated 35% and 100% (n = 5; P less than 0.05), respectively, after 1 week, whereas samples stored at -20 and -70 C for 4 weeks did not deteriorate. There was no significant deterioration of PTH in samples frozen (-40 C) and thawed up to 7 times (n = 5). Parathyroid function testing was investigated by use of 2-hour infusions of disodium EDTA (25 mg/kg/h), 10-minute infusions of calcium gluconate (3 mg of elemental calcium/kg/10 min), and physiologic saline controls (n = 8). Renal function was monitored before and after EDTA infusion by exogenous creatinine clearance. Infusion of disodium EDTA increased mean PTH concentration from 67 (time 0) to 317 and 235 pg/ml at 90 and 180 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.001). Infusion of calcium gluconate decreased mean PTH concentration from 84 (time 0) to 14 and 12 pg/ml at 15 and 60 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.005). There were no observable side effects of the infusions in normal conscious dogs and no differences in exogenous creatinine clearance after EDTA infusion.

Maintaining mineral homeostasis as well as the secretion and metabolism of mineralotropic hormones is important for healthy of periparturient dairy cows. To increase the activity of mineralotropic hormones, blood pH can be adjusted. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in blood pH and the mechanism of action of this change in induced hypercalcaemic cows. Six non-lactating Holstein cows were used in a 2 × 2 crossover design. To induce hypercalcaemia, calcium borogluconate was administered subcutaneously to experimental cows and normal saline was administered subcutaneously to control cows. Blood and urine samples were collected serially after administration. Whole blood without any anticoagulant was processed with a portable blood gas analyser. Plasma concentration and urinary excretion of calcium were measured. In hypercalcaemic cows, both blood and urine calcium levels were significantly increased at 8 h compared to those at 0 h (P < 0.05), and a spontaneous increase in blood pH was also observed. The calcium concentration in plasma was highest at 2 h after administration (3.02 ± 0.27 mmol/L). The change in pH correlated with that in bicarbonate (r = 0.781, P < 0.001) rather than that in partial pressure of CO₂ (r = 0.085, P = 0.424). Hypercalcaemia induced a spontaneous change in blood pH through the bicarbonate buffer system and this system may be a maintainer of calcium homeostasis.

Maintaining mineral homeostasis as well as the secretion and metabolism of mineralotropic hormones is important for healthy of periparturient dairy cows. To increase the activity of mineralotropic hormones, blood pH can be adjusted. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in blood pH and the mechanism of action of this change in induced hypercalcaemic cows.