To gain further insight into the biological significance of parathyroid hormone (PTH) metabolism, native parathyroid hormone and synthetic peptides, similar to PTH metabolites generated in vivo, have been given intravenously to human subjects. The resultant changes in renal excretion of adenosine 6':5' monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and inorganic phosphate have been measured in five pseudohypoparathyroid, four hypoparathyroid, and one pseudopseudohypoparathyroid patient. As anticipated, native PTH promptly increased urinary cyclic AMP and phosphate excretion in the hypoparathyroid and pseudo-pseudohypoparathyroid patients, and had little or no effect on their excretion in the pseudohypoparathyroid patients. Synthetic bovine parathyroid hormone 1-34 and synthetic human parathyroid hormone 1-34 had effects essentially identical to each other and to native PTH. We conclude that the PTH resistance of pseudohypoparathyroidism is probably not caused by a defect in PTH metabolism. We further conclude that synthetic human or bovine parathyroid hormone 1-34 could be used for diagnostic evaluation of patients.