[3H]Tyramine binding: A comparison with neuronal [3H]-dopamine uptake and [3H]mazindol binding processes

[³H]Spiperone ([³H]SPI) binding sites in rat or bovine striata have been solubilized using CHAPS or digitonin detergents. Solubilized sites retained the binding characteristics of those in native membrane preparations. The same solubilized material, however, did not bind [³H]tyramine ([³H]PTA), thus indicating that [³H]PTA binding sites and DA receptors are different chemico-physical entities. In membrane preparations or crude synaptosomes obtained from the c.striatum of neonatally-rendered hypothyroid rats, when central DA-pathways are impaired, both [³H]PTA binding and [³H]DA uptake processes were markedly decreased, with no effect on [³H]mazindol ([³H]MAZ) binding, compared to euthyroids. Reserpine, a well-known inhibitor of DA-uptake into a variety of secretory vesicles, and a potent in vivo andin vitro inhibitor of [³H]PTA binding, did not affect the [³H]MAZ binding process. This further supported the suggestion that while [³H]PTA binding sites are almost totally associated with the vesicular transporter for DA, [³H]MAZ does label a site involved in the DA-translocation across the neuronal membrane. The latter process seems to be rather insensitive to thyroid hypofunction, when however the intracellular storage of DA might be consistently impaired. In conclusion, PTA might be well exploited as a marker of the DA vesicular transporter through its molecular characterization, whenever possible.Special issue dedicated to Dr. Paola S. Timiras     

Incidence of thyroid diseases in Zhejiang Province,China, after 15 years of salt iodization

Thyroid diseases(TD) can be induced by either deficient or excessive iodine intake. Universal Salt Iodization(USI) program has been implemented in China since 1995, to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). To evaluate the current conditions of TD and the role of USI, a multi-stage stratified random sampling scheme was used to perform a cross-sectional survey on the incidence of TD among participants in 6600 households in Zhejiang Province, a coastal area in China. Iodine nutrition status of the population was assessed by dietary iodine intake recall and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of the participants, and TD were diagnosed by thyroid ultrasonography for 15122 participants and for 5873 participants by serum criteria for thyroid function(fT3, fT4, TSH, TRAb, TgAb, TPOAb; see Introduction for abbreviations). The median UIC of the surveyed population was 163 μg iodine/L. From the participants 23.2% had UIC < 100 μg/L which is moderately iodine-deficient according to WHO classification. Diffuse goiter was present in 2.3% of the population and thyroid nodule in 20.9%. The incidence of hyperthyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis was 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.6%, 7.8%, 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. The proportion of several TD for participants with non-iodized salt intake was higher than that for participants with iodized salt intake.     

妊娠期母体甲状腺功能减退对胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体功能的影响

摘要 目的：研究妊娠期母体甲状腺功能减退对胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体功能的影响。方法：构建妊娠期母体甲状腺功能减退小鼠模型,制备胎鼠骨骼肌线粒体,同时选取健康正常胎鼠做本次实验的对照组。采用酶联免疫吸附法和放射免疫分析法测定两组小鼠甲状腺功能;通过全自动生化分析仪检测两组胎鼠胰岛素抵抗结果;利用Clark氧电极测定密闭反应体系评价两组胎鼠线粒体功能结果,并分析母体甲状腺功能减退与胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体功能的相关性。结果：两组小鼠甲状腺功能结果、两组胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体结果对比分析之间均有显著差异（P<0.05）。甲减组小鼠血清中促甲状腺激素（Thyroid Stimulating Hormone,TSH）、丙氨酸转氨酶（alanine aminotransferase,ALT）和门冬氨酸氨基转移酶（aspartate aminotransferase,AST）均较对照组低,胎鼠的空腹血糖（fasting blood-glucose,FBG）、动态3（state3,ST3）、动态4（state4,ST4）呼吸速率和呼吸控制比（respiratory control,RCR）也均较对照组低;而甲减组小鼠游离甲状腺素（free thyroxine,FT4）却较对照组高,胎鼠的胰岛素（insulin,INS）和胰岛素抵抗结果（homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance,HOMA-IR）也较对照组高（P<0.05）。且母体甲状腺功能减退指标中FT4和RCR、ALT和FBG以及RCR之间有负相关关系,母体甲状腺功能减退的其他指标则与胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体功能的其他相关指标之间呈正相关关系（P<0.05）。结论：妊娠期母体甲状腺功能减退会降低胎鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗和线粒体功能,影响胎鼠的正常发育。     

The effects of thyroid hormones on memory impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Thyroid hormones (THs) have a wide and important range of effects within the central nervous system beginning from fetal life and continuing throughout the adult life. Thyroid disorders are one of the major causes of cognitive impairment including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several studies in recent years have indicated an association between hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and AD. Despite available evidence for this association, it remains unclear whether thyroid dysfunction results from or contributes to the progression of AD. This review discusses the role of THs in learning and memory and summarizes the studies that have linked thyroid function and AD. Eventually, we elaborate how THs may be effective in treating AD by putting forward potential mechanisms.     

Decreased activity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase and hepatic lipase in chronic hypothyroid rats: Implications for reverse cholesterol transport

Chronic hypothyroidism is frequently associated with atherosclerosis due to increased cholesterol plasma levels; nevertheless, the contribution of impaired reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in this process has not been completely elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thyroidectomy (Htx) upon the main stages of RCT in rats. Plasma lipid alterations induced by thyroidectomy showed a slight, but significant, reduction of total plasma triglycerides, a 300% increase of LDL-cholesterol and a 25% decrease in HDL-cholesterol compared to control rats. We evaluated the first stage of RCT determining ₃H-cholesterol efflux in Fu5AH cells. The capacity of HDL obtained from Htx rats to promote cholesterol efflux was similar to that of controls. Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity, the second stage and the driving force of RCT was 30% lower in Htx animals compared to controls, as determined by reconstituted HDL used as an external substrate. Lipoproteins are remodeled by hepatic lipase; the mean activity of this enzyme in postheparin plasma of Htx animals was reduced by 30% compared to controls, thus suggesting an impaired HDL remodeling by this enzyme in the hypothyroid status. In contrast, lipoprotein lipase activity in the Htx group was unchanged. In summary, this study demonstrates that chronic hypothyroidism in the rat induced an impaired RCT mainly at the cholesterol esterification, and HDL remodeling mediated by hepatic lipase. The latter probably results in an abnormal HDL structure, i.e. phospholipid enrichment, which contributes to decrease HDL-apo AI fractional catabolic rates.     

Selenium deficiency and hypothyroidism

Three female children presented with different clinical symptoms that could be related to impaired thyroid function. They underwent an accurate pediatric-endocrinologic diagnosis. Laboratory tests revealed no pathological findings, except latent hypothyroidism and selenium deficiency. Hypothyroidism was diagnosed by elevated basal TSH and by a pathological iv-TRH-stimulation test. After treating the children with sodium selenite orally for 4 wk, their metabolism had returned to normal and we saw a marked improvement of all clinical symptoms. For the first time, we have been able to describe hypothyroidism caused exclusively by selenium deficiency, the pathophysiology of which may be expressed as a malfunction of human 5′-deiodinases.     

Colchicine Treatment Differently Affects Releasable Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) Pools in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) and the Median Eminence (ME)

1. Hypophysiotropic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is synthesized in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and transported to the median eminence (ME) where it enters the hypophyseal portal blood. TRH in the ME is situated exclusively in nerve terminals, whereas TRH in the PVN and septum is of extrinsic (nerve terminals) as well as intrinsic (perikarya) origin. 2. To determine the source and possible differential regulation of TRH release from these structures, we blocked TRH axonal delivery by i.c.v. administration of colchicine into the lateral cerebral ventricle of euthyroid or hypothyroid rats in doses of 7.5 μg or 7.5, 75 and 100 μg, respectively, two days prior to the evaluation of the TRH secretion from the PVN, ME and the septum in vitro. 3. In euthyroid rats a low dose of colchicine did not significantly affect plasma TSH. The secretory response to both ethanol in an isosmolar medium and a high K⁺ in the ME as well as the PVN explants was well preserved. However, colchicine treatment resulted in the significant increase of basal secretion of TRH from the PVN. 4. Hypothyroidism induced by 200 mg/l methimazole in drinking water for two weeks resulted in growth arrest, elevated plasma thyrotropin and decreased TRH content in the PVN and the ME. Colchicine partially decreased elevated plasma thyrotropin and increased the TRH content in the PVN and its basal release in vitro which was independent of extracellular Ca²⁺. Interestingly, a TRH release from the PVN could not be further stimulated either by K⁺ membrane depolarization or by ethanol. TRH responsiveness to the stimulation remained unaffected in the ME. The effect of colchicine on the septal TRH secretion was intermediate between the effect observed in the PVN and the ME. 5. In conclusion, the absence of a TRH secretory response to stimuli in the PVN after colchicine disruption of the microtubules and Golgi system suggests that stimulated TRH release observed from the PVN explants in vitro occurs from nerve terminals projecting to the PVN from other brain regions. The independence from extracellular calcium implies that TRH released under the non-stimulating conditions occurs most likely via the constitutive secretory pathway from dendrites and/or perikarya. Regulation of septal TRH is markedly different from the hypophysiotropic one. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Nociceptive Response and Adenine Nucleotide Hydrolysis in Synaptosomes Isolated from Spinal Cord of Hypothyroid Rats

Purinergic system exerts a significant influence on the modulation of pain pathways at the spinal site. Adenosine has antinociceptive properties in experimental and clinical situations, while ATP exerts pronociceptive actions in different pain models. In this study we investigated the hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine in synaptosomes from spinal cord in parallel with the nociceptive response of rats at different ages after hypothyroidism induction. Hypothyroidism elicited a significant increase in AMP hydrolysis to adenosine in synaptosomes from spinal cord of rats subjected to neonatal hypothyroidism and in 420-day-old rats submitted to thyroidectomy. Accordingly, these rats presented an analgesic response as a consequence of hypothyroidism. In contrast, the ATP hydrolysis was decreased in the spinal cord of 60-day-old hypothyroid rats in parallel with a significant increase in nociceptive response. These results indicate the involvement of adenine nucleotides in the control of the hypothyroidism-induced nociceptive response during development.     

亚临床甲亢和甲减发病的实验室调查

目的　探讨本地区亚临床甲状腺疾病的发病情况。　方法　随机抽样 2 550例健康体检者作甲状腺功能检测 ,以促甲状腺素 ( TSH)水平异常的检出率来判断亚临床甲状腺疾病的发病率。　结果　亚临床甲亢的检出率为5.4 5% ,亚临床甲减的检出率为 6 .98% ;两种疾病 T3、T4、FT3、 FT4 和 TSH的均数比较具有非常显著性差异 ( P <0 .0 1)。　结论　本地区具有亚临床甲状腺疾病的发病现象 ,亚临床甲减的发病率比亚临床甲亢稍高