A Possible New Approach to the Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Treatment with Calcitonin Originating from the Human Fetal, Neonatal and Juvenile Calf Thymus

Abstract

Thymus is, according to the contemporary opinion, a part of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thymus-gonadal axis and participates in the regulation and modulation of the endocrine reproductive function in humans. We studied the en docrine properties of the thymic gland and found that it contained significant calcitonin activity in the specimens of the human fetal and neonatal thymus as well as in the juvenile calf thymus. We stress on the interesting fact that calcitonin presence in the human fetal and neonatal thymus is in correlation with calcitonin levels in human neonatal umbilical cord. Application of thymic extracts with calcitonin activity presents the possibility of a new therapeutical approach to osteoporosis. (Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 1993;4:135-138.)