Calcitonin, Rat – Hormones

The hormone Calcitonin, reduces the amount of serum calcium during hypercalcemia and is released from the C-cells of the thyroid gland. Within its structure it contains a disulphide bridge between cysteine 1 and 7 and a proline at its carboxy terminal. Calcitonin is used therapeutically in the treatment of hypercalcemia diseases such as Paget disease, Sudeck atrophy, bone metastases and vitamin-D intoxication. The level of calcitonin in the plasma can also be used as a marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma, while procalcitonin is used to diagnose sepsis.