In general, 3,5-diiodothyronine (3,5-T2) increases the resting metabolic rate and oxygen consumption, exerting short-term beneficial metabolic effects on rats subjected to a high-fat diet. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of chronic 3,5-T2 administration on the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis, body mass gain, adipose tissue mass, and body oxygen consumption in Wistar rats from 3 to 6 months of age. The rats were treated daily with 3,5-T2 (25, 50, or 75 μg/100 g body weight, s.c.) for 90 days between the ages of 3 and 6 months. The administration of 3,5-T2 suppressed thyroid function, reducing not only thyroid iodide uptake but also thyroperoxidase, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), and thyroid type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (D1 (DIO1)) activities and expression levels, whereas the expression of the TSH receptor and dual oxidase (DUOX) were increased. Serum TSH, 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine, and thyroxine were reduced in a 3,5-T2 dose-dependent manner, whereas oxygen consumption increased in these animals, indicating the direct action of 3,5-T2 on this physiological variable. Type 2 deiodinase activity increased in both the hypothalamus and the pituitary, and D1 activities in the liver and kidney were also increased in groups treated with 3,5-T2. Moreover, after 3 months of 3,5-T2 administration, body mass and retroperitoneal fat pad mass were significantly reduced, whereas the heart rate and mass were unchanged. Thus, 3,5-T2 acts as a direct stimulator of energy expenditure and reduces body mass gain; however, TSH suppression may develop secondary to 3,5-T2 administration.

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibition increases functional sodium iodide symporter (NIS) expression in both FRTL-5 rat thyroid cell line and papillary thyroid cancer lineages. In several cell types, the stimulation of PI3K results in downstream activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR), a serine-threonine protein kinase that is a critical regulator of cellular metabolism, growth, and proliferation. MTOR activation is involved in the regulation of thyrocyte proliferation by TSH. Here, we show that MTOR inhibition by rapamycin increases iodide uptake in TSH-stimulated PCCL3 thyroid cell line, although the effect of rapamycin was less pronounced than PI3K inhibition. Thus, NIS inhibitory pathways stimulated by PI3K might also involve the activation of proteins other than MTOR. Insulin downregulates iodide uptake and NIS protein expression even in the presence of TSH, and both effects are counterbalanced by MTOR inhibition. NIS protein expression levels were correlated with iodide uptake ability, except in cells treated with TSH in the absence of insulin, in which rapamycin significantly increased iodide uptake, while NIS protein levels remained unchanged. Rapamycin avoids the activation of both p70 S6 and AKT kinases by TSH, suggesting the involvement of MTORC1 and MTORC2 in TSH effect. A synthetic analog of rapamycin (everolimus), which is clinically used as an anticancer agent, was able to increase rat thyroid iodide uptake in vivo. In conclusion, we show that MTOR kinase participates in the control of thyroid iodide uptake, demonstrating that MTOR not only regulates cell survival, but also normal thyroid cell function both in vitro and in vivo.

This study investigated the effects of obesity induced by high-fat (HF) diet on thyroid function and whole-body energy balance. To accomplish that, we assessed the effects of 8 wk of HF diet on several parameters of hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis function. Serum total T(4) and T(3), rT(3), and TSH, the activity of type 1 and type 2 deiodinases in central and peripheral tissues were determined. Also, we measured in vivo energy balance, substrate partitioning, and markers of leptin resistance. Here we provide novel evidence that prolonged positive energy balance acquired by feeding a HF diet induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, which was characterized by 2.24-, 1.6-, and 3.7-fold elevations in hypothalamic TRH expression, thyroid iodide uptake, and serum TSH, respectively. Serum T(4) and T(3) were normal together with augmented deiodinase type 1 activity in liver (1.3-fold) and kidney (1.2-fold) and increased (1.5-fold) serum rT3 in HF rats. Despite no increase in circulating levels of T(3) and T(4), whole-body oxygen consumption was increased, and substrate metabolism was shifted toward fat oxidation in HF rats. These in vivo metabolic adjustments were mainly driven by the fat content of the diet. Furthermore, spontaneous dark cycle physical activity was reduced by 30% in rats fed a HF diet, which limited energy expenditure and favored the development of obesity. Our findings provide new insight into the endocrine and physiological mechanisms that underlie the alterations in thyroid hormone availability, energy balance, and metabolic partitioning in HF diet-induced obesity.

Araujo RL, Andrade BM, da Silva ML, Ferreira AC, Carvalho DP. Tissue-specific deiodinase regulation during food restriction and low replacement dose of leptin in rats. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 296: E1157-E1163, 2009. First published February 10, 2009 doi:10.1152/ajpendo.90869.2008The relationship between thyroid function and leptin has been extensively studied; however, the mechanisms underlying the changes in thyroid hormone economy that occur during caloric deprivation remain elusive. Our goal was to evaluate the thyroid function of rats submitted to 40% food restriction after chronic leptin replacement. Caloric restriction for 25 days led to significantly reduced serum leptin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T 4), and triiodothyronine (T3) and increased serum corticosterone, while liver, kidney, and thyroid type I deiodinase (D1) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) type II deiodinase (D2) activities were decreased and hypothalamic D2 was significantly increased. Interestingly, thyroid iodide uptake was unchanged by caloric restriction, but thyroperoxidase (TPO) activity was significantly reduced. Leptin replacement for the last 10 days of caloric restriction normalized serum leptin and TSH levels, but serum T 4 and T3 levels and thyroid D1 and TPO activities were not reestablished. Also, a negative effect of leptin administration on Na ϩ -I Ϫ symporter function was detected. Liver and kidney D1 and hypothalamic and BAT D2 were normalized by leptin, while pituitary D2 was significantly decreased. In conclusion, a tissue-specific modulation of deiodinases might be implicated in the normalization of thyroid function during leptin replacement in food-restricted rats. Although leptin restores the hypothalamus-pituitary axis during food restriction, it exerts a direct negative effect on the thyroid gland; thus normalization of serum thyroid hormones might depend on changes in deiodinase activities and the long-term thyroid stimulation by TSH to counterbalance the direct negative effects of leptin on the thyroid gland.hypothalamus; pituitary; thyroid; caloric deprivation; thyrotropin MODERATE REDUCTION in caloric intake promotes well-known systemic effects such as body and fat mass reduction; however, homeostatic mechanisms impair further weight loss after longer periods of food restriction (40, 41). Studies in rodents suggest that the reduction in serum leptin levels that occurs during weight loss signals to the central nervous system, leading to decreased energy expenditure (1,2,3,5). This rapid fall in serum leptin in response to starvation also suppresses immunity, reproductive, and thyroid functions through central mechanisms (1,16,21,23,46).It is well documented that food restriction exerts profound effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, resulting in low plasma thyroxine (T 4 ) and triiodothyronine (T 3 ) levels that seem to be secondary to decreased thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secretion (4,29,38). The relationship between thyroid hormon...

Background: Recurrence is an important cornerstone in breast cancer behavior, intrinsically related to mortality. In spite of its relevance, it is rarely recorded in the majority of breast cancer datasets, which makes research in its prediction more difficult. Objectives: To evaluate the performance of machine learning techniques applied to the prediction of breast cancer recurrence. Material and Methods: Revision of published works that used machine learning techniques in local and open source databases between 1997 and 2014. Results: The revision showed that it is difficult to obtain a representative dataset for breast cancer recurrence and there is no consensus on the best set of predictors for this disease. High accuracy results are often achieved, yet compromising sensitivity. The missing data and class imbalance problems are rarely addressed and most often the chosen performance metrics are inappropriate for the context. Discussion and Conclusions: Although different techniques have been used, prediction of breast cancer recurrence is still an open problem. The combination of different machine learning techniques, along with the definition of standard predictors for breast cancer recurrence seem to be the main future directions to obtain better results.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated by the depletion in cellular energy levels and allows adaptive changes in cell metabolism and cell survival. Recently, our group described that AMPK plays an important role in the regulation of iodide and glucose uptake in thyroid cells. However, AMPK signaling pathway in human thyroid carcinomas has not been investigated so far. Objective: To evaluate the expression and activity of AMPK in papillary thyroid carcinomas. Methods: We examined total and phosphorylated AMPK (tAMPK and pAMPK) and phosphorylated acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (pACC) expressions through imunohistochemistry, using a tissue microarray block composed of 73 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PAP CA) or microcarcinomas (PAP MCA) and six adenoma (AD) samples from patients followed at the Federal University Hospital. The expression levels were compared with the non-neoplastic tissues from the same patient. Two different pathologists analyzed the samples and attributed scores of staining intensity and the proportion of stained cells. A total index was obtained by multiplying the values of intensity and the proportion of stained cells (INTxPROP). Results: tAMPK, pAMPK, and pACC showed a predominant cytoplasmic staining in papillary carcinomas, adenomas, and non-neoplastic thyroid tissues. However, the intensity and the proportion of stained cells were higher in carcinomas, so that a significant increase was found in the INTxPROP score both in PAP CA and PAP MCA, when compared with their respective controls. Conclusion: Our results show unequivocally that AMPK pathway is highly activated in papillary thyroid carcinomas; however, more studies are necessary to understand the pathophysiological significance of AMPK activation in thyroid carcinogenesis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AMP-kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of iodide uptake by the thyroid gland. Iodide uptake was assessed in PCCL3 follicular thyroid cells exposed to the AMPK agonist 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-ribonucleoside (AICAR), and also in rat thyroid glands 24 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of AICAR. In PCCL3 cells, AICAR-induced AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation decreased iodide uptake in a concentration-dependent manner, while the AMPK inhibitor compound C prevented this effect. In the thyroid gland of rats injected with AICAR, AMPK and ACC phosphorylation was increased and iodide uptake was reduced by ~35%. Under conditions of increased AMPK phosphorylation/activation such as TSH deprivation or AICAR treatment, significant reductions in cellular Na(+)/I(-)-symporter (NIS) protein (~41%) and mRNA content (~65%) were observed. The transcriptional (actinomycin D) and translational (cycloheximide) inhibitors, as well as the AMPK inhibitor compound C prevented AICAR-induced reduction of NIS protein content in PCCL3 cells. The presence of TSH in the culture medium reduced AMPK phosphorylation in PCCL3 cells, while inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) with H89 prevented this effect. Conversely, the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin abolished the AMPK phosphorylation response induced by TSH withdrawal in PCCL3 cells. These findings demonstrate that TSH suppresses AMPK phosphorylation/activation in a cAMP-PKA-dependent manner. In summary, we provide novel evidence that AMPK is involved in the physiological regulation of iodide uptake, which is an essential step for the formation of thyroid hormones as well as for the regulation of thyroid function.

Taken together, our results show that the thyroid gland of female rats is exposed to higher oxidative stress levels due both to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production through NOX4, and decreased ROS degradation.