The effects of thyroxine (T4) were studied on the concentration of oestrogen receptors in the anterior pituitary gland and hypothalamus of ovariectomized euthyroid and hypothyroid rats. A group of rats was made hypothyroid by the administration of I. Seven days after ovariectomy, animals were separated into five groups: I, euthyroid controls; II, hypothyroid controls; III, hypothyroid and injected with oestradiol benzoate (10 μg/day for 10 days); IV, hypothyroid and injected with T4 (4 μg/day for 10 days) and V, hypothyroid and injected with both oestradiol and T4 as described above. In group I, oestrogen receptor levels in pituitary cytosol were 44·4 ± 3·4 (s.d.) fmol/mg protein and in the nucleus 47·7 ± 4·0 fmol/mg DNA. In group II the respective values were 12·8 ± 1·7 fmol/mg protein (P <0·01) and 12·7 ± 1·7 fmol/mg DNA (P <0·01 compared with group I). In group III, cytosolic receptor concentrations decreased when compared with those in group II (P <0·05), whereas nuclear receptor concentrations rose significantly (P <0·01). Group IV had both pituitary cytosolic and nuclear receptors increased (P <0·01 compared with group II). In group V there were no changes in cytosolic receptor concentrations but a significant (P <0·01) rise in nuclear receptors as compared with group II. Hypothalamic oestrogen receptors in untreated hypothyroid rats (group II) were unchanged in the cytosol and diminished (P <0·01) in the nucleus in relation to euthyroid controls (group I). Thyroxine, but not oestrogen, was effective in increasing the concentration of cytosolic receptors (P <0·05). Neither hormone caused changes in nuclei. The results show that there is a pronounced decrease in pituitary and hypothalamic (nuclei) oestrogen receptors in untreated hypothyroid rats and that this decrease can be reversed by T4 treatment.
J. Endocr. (1988) 119, 383–387
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