Abstract. Pituitary thyrotrope tumours are a rare cause of hyperthyroidism. Prior in vitro studies of these tumours have revealed various patterns of differentiation and secretory activity. We have characterized the histological, biochemical, molecular and physiological features of a thyrotrope adenoma in order to define its origin and autonomy. Histochemical and electron micrograph findings confirmed the diagnosis of a thyrotrope cell adenoma. Immunostaining was positive for TSH and GH in the cytoplasm of the adenoma cells. Tissue extracts contained TSH-IR which co-eluted with authentic hTSH when analysed by gel filtration. Tumour fragments studied in a tissue culture system secreted TSH, α-subunit and GH. TRH (30 nmol/l) stimulated TSH and GH secretion. T3 (1.5 nmol/l) inhibited GH release and had no effect on TSH secretion. GnRH (50 nmol/l), dexamethasone (10−4 mol/l), SRIH (1 μmol/l) and TRH-glycine, a tetrapeptide precursor of TRH, stimulated TSH release. Dexamethasone inhibited GH and α-subunit secretion. Stable transcripts for α- and β-subunits of TSH and GH messenger RNAs were detected by molecular hybridization in cytosolic fractions. Immunohistochemistry, in vitro secretory function, and mRNA analysis suggest multidirectional differentiation of the tumour cells. TRH-glycine may have a direct stimulatory effect upon pituitary thyrotropes.
Thyroidectomized rats were used to study the effects of a single injection of T3 on pituitary mRNA synthesis and hormone secretion. T3 was injected ip at doses of 0, 0.2, 1, or 5 micrograms/100 g body weight, and and animals were killed 24 h later. T3 caused a significant decrease in serum TSH, but caused no significant change in either serum GH or PRL. Pituitary mRNA was quantified by slot blot hybridization with cDNA probes specific for alpha-TSH, beta-TSH, PRL, and GH. We found that both the alpha and beta mRNA subunits decreased, that PRL mRNA remained relatively unchanged, and that GH mRNA increased with increasing T3 dose. The data show that a single dose of T3 can profoundly influence mRNA levels in the anterior pituitary; the lowest dose of T3 caused maximum inhibition of alpha-TSH mRNA while beta-TSH mRNA declined further in a dose-dependent manner.
Triac, 3,5,3'-triiodothyroacetic acid, was administered at doses of 1, 3, 9 or 30 micrograms/100 g body weight to hypothyroid rats to determine its effects on TSH secretion and pituitary mRNA content. Triac caused a dose-dependent decrease in serum TSH 6 h after injection. Pituitary content of mRNA subunits either remained at hypothyroid levels or increased at 6 h. At 24 h after injection of the 3 micrograms dose of triac, serum TSH returned to hypothyroid levels; both alpha and beta mRNA subunits were reduced at this time. When 30 micrograms triac/100 g body weight was administered, serum TSH levels remained depressed 24 h later, while pituitary mRNA content was essentially the same as in the hypothyroid controls. These findings indicate that the initial decrease in TSH secretion in response to triac is independent of the availability of TSH mRNA transcripts and suggest that TSH secretion and synthesis may be differentially controlled.
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