Endocrinology, Vol 97, 1256-1262, Copyright © 1975 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Inhibition of the response of mouse thyroid to tryrotropin induced by chronic triiodothyronine treatment

M Gafni, N Sirkis and J Gross

Administration of 1 mU bovine TSH iv to mice resulted, within 1 hour, in the increase of the serum T4 level from 32 +/- 1.4 ng/ml to 53 +/- 2.6 ng/ml (Mean +/- SE, n = 24). Treatment with 1 mug triiodothyronine (T3) per day, for 10 days, abolished the responsiveness of the thyroid to TSH, as measured by thyroxine (T4) release. Thyroidal response to TSH was measured also in vitro. The basal hormonal release was 4.66 +/- 0.55 ng T4 and 0.98 +/- 0.15 ng T3 per thyroid per 3 h (n = 30). In the presence of bovine TSH (0.2 mU/ml) the hormonal secretion increased 3- fold for T4 and 2.5-fold for T3. Thyroids from mice pretreated with T3 for 10 days showed almost no response to TSH. Partial refractoriness to TSH was already significant 5 days after T3 pretreatment. Responsiveness to TSH was restored 3 days after T3 withdrawal or after 3 daily injections of 10 mU bovine TSH, concomitant with the last 3 days of T3 pretreatment. These results indicated that the prolonged absence of an adequate level of trophic hormone may be the cause of thyroidal unresponsiveness to acute TSH treatment. With 20 mU of TSH, cAMP levels rose from 4 +/- 0.5 picomoles to 80 +/- 9.3 picomoles per thyroid (n = 6). In mice subjected to 10 days of T3 pretreatment the response was markedly reduced: 20 +/- 3 picomoles/ thyroid. Thyroids of the T3-treated mice responded normally to 1 mM DBcAMP in vitro. From these results it was concluded that the impaired responsiveness of the thyroids to TSH occurs at a step prior to cAMP accumulation.