Animal Source Foods
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Calcitonin hormone, a polypeptide hormone of the human thyroid, was extracted from the ultimo-branchial glands (thyroid-like glands) of fish, particularly Coho salmon (170). Salmon calcitonin resembles human calcitonin, but is more active. Calcitonin is used to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, hypercalcemia, osteoarthritis, and Paget’s disease. Moreover, it is a powerful analgesic agent and may be used to treat migraine and other pains, especially in elderly people. Calcitonin is now produced either by recombinant technology or by chemical peptide synthesis. In the 1970s, captopril, a potent angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used for arterial hypertension and some cardiovascular diseases, was derived from a peptide in the venom of the Brazilian pit viper (170).
Roots and Tubers
Christopher Cumo in Ancestral Diets and Nutrition, 2020
As noted, processing is necessary to minimize toxins. Even meticulous efforts cannot remove all cyanide. The body uses essential amino acids methionine and cystine to detoxify the remainder. Both being essential for growth, a 2008 paper implicated their metabolism for detoxification in stunting children.92 Moreover, a by-product of cyanide detoxification is the anion thiocyanate (SCN−), which hinders the thyroid gland’s storage and use of the mineral iodine and which is known as a goitrogen. Without iodine, the thyroid—in a condition known as hypothyroidism—cannot manufacture the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine necessary to regulate cells’ production of proteins, including enzymes that help control metabolism. The thyroid also makes the hormone calcitonin to regulate calcium in the blood. The gland is part of a cascade that begins with the hypothalamus, a region in the brain central to emotions, sleep, appetite, thirst, and libido. The hypothalamus regulates the thyroid by signaling the pituitary gland to secrete thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The pituitary calibrates TSH by sensing the amounts of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in blood.
Biochemistry
Burkhard Madea in Asphyxiation, Suffocation,and Neck Pressure Deaths, 2020
Thyroid parafollicular cells are the major producers of circulating calcitonin, a polypeptide hormone consisting of 32 amino acids, with a carboxyterminal proline amide and an N-terminal disulfide bridge connecting the cysteines at positions 1 and 7 to form a 7 amino-acid ring structure at the amino terminus. Calcitonin is initially synthesized as a precursor containing 136 amino acids and a leader sequence at its amino terminal region, which is cleaved during hormone transport to the endoplasmic reticulum. The basic function of calcitonin is plasma calcium regulation by a feedback mechanism. The effect in this regard is obtained through the inhibition of bone resorption, thus reducing the amount of circulating calcium. Calcitonin decreases blood calcium levels by direct inhibition of mediated bone resorption and enhancing calcium excretion by the kidney [5,33,37,38,48,54].
Neuroendocrine tumor with diarrhea: not always the usual suspects – a case report of metastatic calcitoninoma with literature review
Published in Acta Clinica Belgica, 2021
Kenny Vlaemynck, Marc De Man, Kathia De Man, Anne Hoorens, Karen Geboes
We describe a case of refractory diarrhea caused by a metastatic calcitoninoma, a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (PanNEN). Calcitonin is a peptide hormone, secreted by the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid and acting as an antagonist of parathormone. Elevated serum calcitonin levels may be related to chronic renal disease or hyperparathyroidism, both causing hypercalcemia, but also raise suspicion of a medullary thyroid carcinoma. The latter is highly unlikely in our case because of TTF1 negativity and absence of thyroid abnormalities on both functional and non-functional imaging. Occasionally, calcitonin may be secreted by other NETs such as pheochromocytomas, lung carcinomas and pancreatic NETs [1]. Nonthyroidal cancers should be excluded, even in the presence of thyroid nodules, especially when these have few suspicious features [2]. A retrospective study of NETs showed that high calcitonin levels (>100 pg/mL) were predominantly found in pancreatic and lung NETs. This was not associated with worse survival, but can be useful as a tumor marker. There was no association with MEN1 syndrome. All patients had synchronous metastases, mostly in the liver or bones [3,4].
The Prevention and Therapy of Osteoporosis: A Review on Emerging Trends from Hormonal Therapy to Synthetic Drugs to Plant-Based Bioactives
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2019
Twinkle Gupta, Nilanjan Das, Sabiha Imran
Calcitonin is peptidic in nature and possesses antiosteoclastic activities (Keen, 2007). It reduces the lifespan and number of osteoclasts by interfering with the differentiation of preosteoclasts (Keen, 2007). A high dose of calcitonin can increase bone mass in osteoporotic patients (Civitelli et al., 1988) and is most often given intermittently, for example, 100 U three times a week for 3–6 months. The only calcitonin available in the United States is injectable salmon (Deftos et al., 1997). In Europe, nasal calcitonin is available, which might be effective (Overgaard, Riis, Christiansen, & Hansen, 1989). Patients receiving calcitonin therapy may have nausea or flushing after injection and might develop long-term toxicity. This therapy is usually given to patients who cannot take estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
MEN 2B masquerading as chronic blepharitis and euryblepharon
Published in Orbit, 2019
Alison B. Huggins, Jacqueline R. Carrasco, Ralph C. Eagle
MTC is a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the calcitonin-secreting, parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. Patients present with symptoms secondary to elevated calcitonin and coincident secretion of peptides including hypertension, vasomotor flushing, loose stools, and a scaly skin rash.8 Additionally, they can have compressive symptoms due to the mass itself as well as symptoms secondary to hypercalcemia (constipation, kidney stones, polyuria, polydipsia, depression, glucose intolerance, and decreased bone density). Advanced MTC has a poor prognosis with a 10-year survival rate for patients with metastatic MTC is about 20%, however, prophylactic thyroidectomy has improved survival in these patients.8 It is recommended that children with MEN 2B undergo prophylactic thyroidectomy within the first year of life, ideally within the first 6 months of life.8 Prophylactic thyroidectomy should also be offered to disease-free carriers of germ line RET mutations, but this should be discussed with parents prior to testing children for the mutation.8 New targeted therapies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown promise for inoperable and progressive disease, namely vandetanib and cabozantanib, but to date, neither therapy has demonstrated an improvement in overall survival rates.8,9
Related Knowledge Centers
- Calcium
- Calcium Metabolism
- Parafollicular Cell
- Parathyroid Hormone
- Peptide Hormone
- Proteolysis
- Amino Acid
- Thyroid
- Ultimopharyngeal Body
- Amylin Family