scholarly journals The pituitary-thyroid axis in healthy men living under subarctic climatological conditions

2001 ◽  
Vol 169 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Hassi ◽  
K Sikkila ◽  
A Ruokonen ◽  
J Leppaluoto

In order to evaluate the effects of climatic factors on the secretion of thyroid hormones and TSH in a high latitude population, we have taken serum and urine samples from 20 healthy men from northern Finland (67 degrees -68 degrees N) every 2 months for a period of 14 months. Serum free triiodothyronine (T(3)) levels were lower in February than in August (3.9 vs 4.4 pmol/l, P<0.05) and TSH levels were higher in December than during other months (2.1 vs 1.5-1.7 mU/l, P<0.01). Serum total and free thyroxine (T(4)), total T(3) and reverse T(3) levels and urinary T(4) levels were unchanged. Urinary T(3) levels were significantly higher in winter than in summer. Serum free T(3) correlated highly significantly with the outdoor temperature integrated backwards weekly for 7-56 days (r=0.26 for 1-56 days) from the day when the blood samples were taken. Serum TSH did not show any significant correlation with the thyroid hormones or with the integrated temperature of the previous days, but it did show an inverse and significant correlation (r=-0.31) with the ambient luminosity integrated backwards for 7 days from the day when the blood sample was taken. The gradually increasing correlation between outdoor temperatures and serum free T(3) suggests that the disposal of thyroid hormones is accelerated in winter, leading to low serum free T(3) levels and a high urinary free T(3) excretion. Since there was no correlation between thyroid hormones and serum TSH, the feedback mechanism between TSH and thyroid hormones may not be the only contributing factor, and other factors such as ambient luminosity may at least partly determine serum TSH in these conditions. Also urinary free T(3) appears to be a novel and non-invasive indicator for thyroid physiology.

1986 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gayo ◽  
B. Bonet ◽  
A. S. Herranz ◽  
R. Iglesias ◽  
M.J. Toro ◽  
...  

Abstract. The postnatal development of immunoreactive TRH in the central nervous system (CNS), serum TSH and thyroid hormones was studied in both male and female normal rats. While in most structures of the CNS, TRH increased until day 20–30, serum TSH values peaked at day 15 as did T4. Significant differences were also obtained between both sexes in these parameters. These data further support the fact that pituitary-thyroid axis maturation is independent of brain TRH.


Endocrinology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 1180-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Hui Liao ◽  
Caterina Di Cosmo ◽  
Alexandra M. Dumitrescu ◽  
Arturo Hernandez ◽  
Jacqueline Van Sande ◽  
...  

Mice deficient in the thyroid hormone (TH) transporter Mct8 (Mct8KO) have increased 5′-deiodination and impaired TH secretion and excretion. These and other unknown mechanisms result in the low-serum T4, high T3, and low rT3 levels characteristic of Mct8 defects. We investigated to what extent each of the 5′-deiodinases (D1, D2) contributes to the serum TH abnormalities of the Mct8KO by generating mice with all combinations of Mct8 and D1 and/or D2 deficiencies and comparing the resulting eight genotypes. Adding D1 deficiency to that of Mct8 corrected the serum TH abnormalities of Mct8KO mice, normalized brain T3 content, and reduced the impaired expression of TH-responsive genes. In contrast, Mct8D2KO mice maintained the serum TH abnormalities of Mct8KO mice. However, the serum TSH level increased 27-fold, suggesting a severely impaired hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis. The brain of Mct8D2KO manifested a pattern of more severe impairment of TH action than Mct8KO alone. In triple Mct8D1D2KO mice, the markedly increased serum TH levels produced milder brain defect than that of Mct8D2KO at the expense of more severe liver thyrotoxicosis. Additionally, we observed that mice deficient in D2 had an unexplained marked reduction in the thyroid growth response to TSH. Our studies on these eight genotypes provide a unique insight into the complex interplay of the deiodinases in the Mct8 defect and suggest that D1 contributes to the increased serum T3 in Mct8 deficiency, whereas D2 mainly functions locally, converting T4 to T3 to compensate for distinct cellular TH depletion in Mct8KO mice.


1995 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinay Kamat ◽  
Wendy L Hecht ◽  
Robert T Rubin

Kamat V, Hecht WL, Rubin RT. Influence of meal composition on the postprandial response of the pituitary–thyroid axis. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;133:75–9. ISSN 0804–4643 Ingestion of food can result in an acute decline of serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations, but it is not known whether meal composition and/or stomach distension are influential. Normal men and women were given a normocaloric or hypocaloric, isobulk meal at lunch and at dinner in a randomized design. The normocaloric, but not the isobulk, meal resulted in a significant decline in serum TSH at both lunch and dinner; thyroid hormones and cortisol were not affected significantly. These findings suggest that meal composition is influential in the acute postprandial decline of serum TSH in man. A possible mechanism is food-induced elevation of somatostatin and consequent suppression of TSH secretion. Robert T Rubin, Neurosciences Research Center, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 E North Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772, USA


1995 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elio Roti ◽  
Luigi Bartalena ◽  
Roberta Minelli ◽  
Mario Salvi ◽  
Eliana Gardini ◽  
...  

Roti E, Bartalena L, Minelli R, Salvi M, Gardini E, Pistolesi A, Martino E, Braverman LE. Circadian thyrotropin variations are preserved in normal pregnant women. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;133:71–4. ISSN 0804–4643 Serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentration circadian rhythm is abolished in many endocrine and nonendocrine diseases. In the present study we have measured serum TSH concentration over 24 h every 2 h in second and third trimester pregnant women. During the 24-h period, serum free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine concentrations did not change significantly. In contrast, serum TSH concentrations demonstrated significant circadian variations both in the second and third trimester pregnant women (p<0.02 and p <0.005, respectively). In summary, second and third trimester pregnancy is associated with a normal circadian TSH rhythm. Elio Roti, Centro per lo Studio, Prevenzione, Diagnosi e Cura delle Tireopatie, University of Parma, via Gramsci 14, 1-43100 Parma, Italy


1979 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 776-786
Author(s):  
Masatomo MORI ◽  
Kihachi OHSHIMA ◽  
Sakae MARUTA ◽  
Hitoshi FUKUDA ◽  
Yohnosuke SHIMOMURA ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hohtari ◽  
A. Pakarinen ◽  
A. Kauppila

Abstract. The effects of endurance training and season on the function of the anterior pituitary-thyroid axis were studied in 18 female runners and their 12 controls, and in 13 joggers and their 11 controls in Northern Finland, with a large seasonal difference in environmental factors. The serum concentrations of thyrotropin (TSH), thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (fT4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) and oestradiol (E2) were measured during one menstrual cycle in the light training season (autumn) and in the hard training season (spring). The responses of TSH to intravenous TRH stimulation were also measured in the luteal phase of the cycle during the hard training season. Endurance running did not affect the basal or TRH-stimulated serum TSH concentrations, while those of T4 and fT4 in runners were lowered in both seasons and that of T3 in the light training season in relation to control subjects. The serum concentrations of TBG were also significantly lower in runners than their controls in the luteal phase in both seasons. The effect of jogging on thyroid hormones was less pronounced. Serum concentrations of TSH, T4, fT4, T3 and TBG were generally slightly higher in spring than in autumn. Strenuous endurance training seems to have minor changes on the function of the thyroid gland. Depressed T4 levels in runners may rather be due to lowered TBG levels than due to direct effect of training. In spring the function of anterior pituitary-thyroid axis is more active than in autumn.


1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 950-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Dussault ◽  
P. Walker

The effect of chronic propylthiouracil (PTU) and low iodide diet (LID) on the development of the hypothalamo–pituitary–thyroid axis in the rat has been studied. Pregnant and neonatal rats received 0.05% PTU in their drinking water or LID (distilled water and LID: Teklad Mills, Madison, Wisconsin). Control animals received tap water and Purina rat chow ad libitum. Hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), pituitary and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (THS), and serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured by specific double-antibody radioimmunoassay. Both PTU- and LID-exposed animals had low hypothalamic TRH concentrations at 1 day and a rapid rise to peak levels of 2.4 ± 0.4 pg/μg protein (mean ± SEM) between 12 and 24 days in the PTU animals and 3.2 ± 0.4 pg/μg protein between 12 and 18 days in the LID rats. Hypothalamic TRH concentrations remained relatively stable in the PTU animals, whereas in the LID rats, after a brief but significant decline from 24 to 28 days, hypothalamic TRH concentrations rose to the highest values observed at 57 days (3.9 ± 0.5 pg/μg protein). Both groups of animals had elevated serum TSH levels at 1 day, with higher values seen in the PTU group (p < 0.01), and both showed a rapid rise at 12 days. Thereafter, serum TSH concentrations remained high in the PTU rats but declined to stable, albeit elevated, levels by 24 days (1260 ± 140 ng/ml) in the LID animals. Hypothyroidism was confirmed in the PTU animals by undetectable T4 and reduced T3 concentrations. In the LID rats, serum T4 concentrations rose from undetectable levels at 1 day to stable values by 32 days (2.18 ± 0.13 μg/dl). Serum T3 rose to peak values of 157.0 ± 6.9 ng/dl at 32 days and was elevated at all times after 12 days. These data suggest that chronic exposure to PTU or LID results in a marked derangement of the ontogenetic pattern of the hypothalamo–pituitary–thyroid axis. In addition, neonatal rats exposed to LID appear to respond appropriately by preferential T3 production.


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