Human PTH-related protein (hPTHrP) has been characterized as a product of tumor cells with sequence homology to the biologically active amino-terminal portion of human PTH (hPTH). We measured the relative activities of synthetic amino-terminal sequences of hPTH-(1-34) and hPTHrP-(1-34) to stimulate production of cAMP in intact human SaOS-2 osteosarcoma cells. Both peptides enhanced cAMP production at concentrations of 2.5-7.5 X 10(-10) M, had parallel dose-response curves, and were of essentially equal potency. Preincubation of SaOS-2 cells with hPTH-(1-34) or hPTHrP-(1-34) for 1 or 4 h induced homologous desensitization to a second challenge with the same peptide as well as heterologous desensitization to the other PTH peptide, but had little or no effect on the action of vasoactive intestinal peptide; the magnitudes of homologous and heterologous desensitization induced by the same doses of hPTHrP-(1-34) or hPTH-(1-34) were similar. Bone resorption-stimulating activity was measured using 40Ca2+ release from neonatal mouse calvariae in organ culture after 72 h of incubation. hPTHrP-(1-34) gave a dose-response between 0.2 and 5 ng/ml (5 X 10(-11) and 1.2 X 10(-9) M), was about 3 times more potent than Lilly bovine PTH standard (assuming a SA of 3000 U/mg; 100 U/ml), gave the same maximum response as hPTH-(1-34), and was 20-30% as potent as hPTH-(1-34). Neither hPTH-(1-34) nor hPTHrP-(1-34) enhanced prostaglandin production in mouse calvariae, and indomethacin did not inhibit the bone resorption-stimulating activities of either peptide. We conclude that hPTHrP-(1-34) and hPTH-(1-34) have similar high specific biological activities to stimulate production of cAMP in human osteoblast-like cells, but that hPTHrP-(1-34) is modestly less potent than hPTH-(1-34) to stimulate bone resorption in mouse calvariae.