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parathyroid hormone

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.05 sec.
parathyroid hormone or parathormone, a hormone hormone, secretory substance carried from one gland or organ of the body via the bloodstream to more or less specific tissues, where it exerts some influence upon the metabolism of the target tissue.
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 secreted by the parathyroid glands parathyroid glands (pâr'əthī`roid)
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 that regulates the metabolism metabolism, sum of all biochemical processes involved in life. Two subcategories of metabolism are anabolism, the building up of complex organic molecules from simpler precursors, and catabolism , the breakdown of complex substances into simpler molecules, often
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 of calcium and phosphate in the body. It has been purified extensively and appears to be a protein containing 84 amino-acid residues, a sequence of which about 33 to 35 are necessary for biological activity. Parathyroid hormone acts to raise the extracellular calcium concentration, that is, the concentration of calcium ions in the spaces between the cells of the body and in the blood plasma; it promotes the absorption of calcium by the intestine, mobilizes calcium salts from the bones, and increases the tendency of the kidney to recover calcium from the urine. The hormone also enhances both the excretion of phosphate by the kidneys and its uptake by the cells. This removes phosphate, which tends to form a relatively insoluble salt with calcium, from the extracellular spaces, allowing more calcium to remain in solution. Calcium is intimately involved not only in the formation of bone, but also in the functioning of the nervous system; thus hypoparathyroidism, the disease associated with a deficiency in parathyroid hormone secretion, is characterized by muscle spasms leading eventually to generalized convulsions and various psychiatric symptoms. This condition is sometimes successfully treated by the administration of the hormone. Hyperparathyroidism, the result of oversecretion of the hormone, often leads to the resorption of bone and can only be treated by the surgical removal of all of the parathyroid glands, which can be found in unusual locations.

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a private biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for patients suffering from osteoporosis, and Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) have initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of an inhaled powder formulation of Zelos' proprietary parathyroid hormone Ostabolin-C (cyclic PTH-(1-31)).
4) Parathyroid adenoma usually occurs secondary to excessive parathyroid hormone production and the sequelae of hypercalcemia.
DaVita said it had received a subpoena requesting a "wide range of documents," including specific requests for documents related "to testing for parathyroid hormone levels and to products relating to vitamin D therapies.
 
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