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ABSTRACT
Previous studies have shown that freezing and thawing of human thyroid homogenates releases a water-soluble substance which reversibly binds to TSH-receptor antibodies. This substance has been designated long-acting thyroid stimulator absorbing activity (LAA). We now describe a new method for measuring LAA based on the TSH-receptor assay and application of the technique to the study of LAA.
Our results indicate that LAA is a heat-labile glycoprotein which co-elutes with haemoglobin on gel filtration. Furthermore, LAA is retarded by columns of Sepharose–TSH but not by Sepharose coupled to human chorionic gonadotrophin, normal immunoglobulin G or bovine serum albumin, suggesting that LAA contains a binding site for TSH as well as for TSH-receptor antibodies. It would seem therefore that LAA is a water-soluble fragment of the TSH receptor possibly resulting from proteolytic cleavage of the receptor at a site close to the cell surface.
J. Endocr. (1984) 100, 113–118
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SUMMARY
Follicular cells isolated from normal human thyroid tissue have been cultured for up to 140 h with bovine thyrotrophin (TSH) or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP). Both compounds induced marked reorganization of the cells into three-dimensional follicular structures, whilst non-supplemented cells assumed a monolayer form.
Cultures treated initially with TSH or DBcAMP showed a greater iodide uptake capacity, in comparison with unsupplemented cultures, in which iodide uptake was markedly diminished after 24 h.
The release of tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) into the medium was determined by radioimmunoassay. Both TSH- and DBcAMP-treated cells showed a significant increase in iodothyronine output compared with unsupplemented control cells.
In contrast to the 'classical' TSH-induced depression of the T4:T3 ratio in vivo, an increase in the ratio was observed for both TSH- and DBcAMP-supplemented cells in vitro. The ratio was also significantly greater after TSH than after DBcAMP, and possible implications of this finding are discussed.
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ABSTRACT
We have reported previously the effect of thyroid status in vivo on pituitary cytoplasmic concentrations of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding the thyrotrophin (TSH) β-subunit (Franklyn, Lynam, Docherty et al, 1985). Studies in vitro of the regulation of TSH β gene transcription have been confined to thyrotrophic tumour cells. We now report the demonstration of TSH β-subunit mRNA in non-tumorous rat pituitary cells in primary culture. Treatment of cells with thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) and with forskolin resulted in a marked increase in cellular concentration of TSH β-mRNA. These results suggest that TRH exerts a direct effect on the pretranslational events involved in TSH synthesis and further that the adenylate cyclase system may be involved in the regulation of synthesis. We have thus described a novel system for the study of TSH β-subunit gene expression in normal rat pituitary cells in vitro.
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ABSTRACT
Using an in-vitro system of cultured human thyroid cells and cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation as an index of cell stimulation, we compared TSH and thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) with regard to thyrocyte sensitization and desensitization. The smallest dose of TSH (0·05 mU/ml) capable of stimulating thyroid cells was the same as the minimum dose required to induce desensitization upon subsequent rechallenge with the hormone. In contrast, about 30-fold higher doses of TSI were needed to cause cell refractoriness compared with doses capable of eliciting stimulation. Moreover, significant stimulation of the thyroid with TSI was apparent much later than with TSH. A longer time-lapse was also necessary for TSI to induce densensitization. Likewise, thyrocytes recovered more slowly from TSI compared with TSH desensitization. Although at high doses TSI induced homologous desensitization, at lower doses the antibody, unlike TSH, potentiated the cAMP response to subsequent exposure to the antibody. The stimulatory doses of TSI were in the range usually encountered in active Graves' disease, which may explain why prolonged TSI in vivo sustains a hyperthyroid condition. In addition, we found that under conditions in which TSH leads to desensitization of the cAMP response, the thyroid cells maintained their responsiveness in terms of triiodothyronine secretory activity. Pre-exposure of human thyrocytes to TSI induced heterologous desensitization towards the TSH-stimulated cAMP response. Moreover, addition of the antibody to maximally desensitizing doses of TSH decreased cell sensitivity to the hormone even further. In sharp contrast, preincubation of cells with TSH, or TSH plus TSI, potentiated by four- and twofold respectively the cAMP response to subsequent challenge with TSI. Taken together, the data reveal marked differences between the action of TSH and TSI, and raise interesting questions concerning the mechanism whereby TSH potentiates the cAMP response to TSI.
J. Endocr. (1988) 119, 341–349
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ABSTRACT
To determine whether thyrotrophin (TSH)-induced desensitization requires a thyroid-specific factor(s), the human TSH (hTSH) receptor was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The first incubation of the cells with TSH decreased the subsequent response of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate to freshly added TSH in the second incubation. This homologous desensitization was observed as early as after 3 h of the first incubation. The lowest dose of TSH that elicited desensitization was 0·1 nmol/l. The desensitization was not overcome by adding higher doses of TSH in the second incubation. A 125I-labelled TSH-binding study revealed a decrease in the number of high-affinity binding sites but not in that of low-affinity binding sites. The data suggest that TSH-induced desensitization in hTSH receptor-transfected cells is caused, at least in part, by a decrease in the number of TSH receptors on the cell surface. The evidence demonstrates, contrary to an earlier report, that a thyroid-specific factor(s) is not required for hTSH receptor desensitization.
Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 139, 425–429
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ABSTRACT
The effects of TSH and forskolin were examined on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) and calmodulin in normal pig thyroid cells in culture. TSH was found to produce acute increases in [Ca2+]i in pig cells. Responses were seen at concentrations of TSH between 0·01 and 10 mU/ml. Sensitivity to TSH was greater in adherent monolayers of cells than in cell suspensions and was also greater in subconfluent rather than confluent monolayers of cells. The increase in [Ca2+]i in response to TSH represented just over a doubling in [Ca2+]i whether examined at 22 °C or 37 °C. Forskolin failed to affect [Ca2+]i. TSH increased [Ca2+]i in the absence of extracellular calcium.
TSH, but not forskolin, produced a significant increase in intracellular calmodulin after 3 days of culture of cells with TSH. The increase in calmodulin was of the order of 60% and did not relate to any effect of TSH on thyroid cell number.
Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 129, 291–299
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ABSTRACT
The cyclic AMP response to bovine TSH was characterized in a strain of rat thyroid follicular cells (FRTL-5) maintained in continuous culture. Significant stimulation of intracellular cyclic AMP was attained at a TSH dose of 5 μu./ml. Cyclic AMP accumulation continued to increase, at higher TSH doses, with no evidence for attainment of a maximum level at the highest dose tested (5 mu./ml). The precision of TSH measurement was better than 10% over the range 50–5000 μu./ml, comparing favourably with that observed with analogous assays based on human cells, tissue slices or membrane preparations. Using sequential subcultures of FRTL-5 cells, the between-assay variation in response to a single dose of a standard preparation of bovine TSH (53/11; 370 μu./ml) was of the order of 20% which compared favourably with the between-assay variation observed with different cultures of human thyroid cells. Prolongation of the incubation of FRTL-5 cells with TSH to 3 h revealed a progressive increase in the extracellular accumulation of cyclic AMP. Addition of TSH to resting FRTL-5 cells resulted in a stimulation of inorganic iodide uptake with pronounced bell-shaped dose–response characteristics. Thus a maximum uptake was observed at a TSH dose of 100 μu./ml with a significant reduction at higher doses. Acute stimulation of cells with TSH (100 μu./ml) resulted in a rapid and marked alteration in cell morphology, with evidence of cellular retraction and surface ruffling.
J. Endocr. (1984) 101, 269–276
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The relationship between the binding of thyrotrophin (TSH) to receptors and the production of cyclic AMP has been investigated using crude human thyroid membranes. Receptor binding was studied by use of 125I-labelled bovine TSH, which had been purified by absorption to and elution from human thyroid membranes. This 125I-labelled material showed the same biological activity as the unlabelled hormone. Binding studies at equilibrium indicated that the association constant of the TSH–membrane interaction decreased as the amount of TSH bound increased. Kinetic data did not provide definite evidence that this was due to an effect of increasing receptor occupancy on the dissociation rate constant. Detectable stimulation by TSH of cyclic AMP production by the membranes was observed with as little as 30 μu. (1 ng) hormone. Increasing amounts of TSH over the range 0–250 μu. caused increases in the production of cyclic AMP, proportional to the amount of hormone bound. With larger amounts of TSH, increasingly greater amounts of bound hormone were required to give corresponding increases in cyclic AMP formation, and addition of TSH in amounts greater than 16 mu. resulted in progressive inhibition of cyclic AMP formation. Kinetic studies indicated that receptor binding was not rate-limiting in the stimulation of cyclic AMP production by TSH.
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SUMMARY
Particulate fractions of guinea-pig thyroid homogenate contained a single class of receptors which bound 125I-labelled bovine thyrotrophin (TSH) by a saturable, reversible process with an affinity constant of 2 × 109 1/mol. The binding process was specific for TSH, and corresponded with the activation of adenylate cyclase. Cleavage of hormone—receptor bonds by treatment with lyotropic agents resulted in the release of unchanged labelled TSH. The radioligand receptor assay system was sensitive to 0·015 mu. TSH. Bovine or mouse thyroid showed reduced binding affinity with correspondingly reduced sensitivity.
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SUMMARY
After iodine depletion of mice, the time needed for the bioassay of long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) can be shortened to allow the completion of two assays per week. Suppression of mouse TSH with 0·1 μg tri-iodothyronine was necessary in the TSH assay and with 5 μg thyroxine in the LATS assay. These can be administered as a single i.p. injection with the 131I. The response of the assay mice to TSH can be improved by giving theophylline (0·5 mg) just before, with and after the stimulus.
