Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor levels and binding affinity in the thyroid gland of growth-retarded mice

Authors: Kobayashi, Kenichi; Sato, Mirei; Machida, Takeo; Kobayashi, Tetsuya

Source: Congenital Anomalies, Volume 45, Number 3, September 2005 , pp. 89-92(4)

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Abstract:

Growth-retarded (grt/grt) mice are congenitally primary hypothyroid. Our previous study indicated that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) responsiveness was defective in the grt/grt thyroid gland. We now report additional studies of impaired grt/grt thyroid function. Semiquantitative RT-PCR confirmed that TSH receptor (TSHR) mRNA expression in the grt/grt thyroid was significantly decreased compared with +/+ thyroids. Scatchard analysis revealed that grt/grt and +/+ mice have only one type of TSH binding site. grt/grt thyroids had fewer TSH binding sites, although this did not apparently affect the affinity of TSH for its receptor. The present data suggest that reduced TSHR levels or defects in TSHR signaling could be one of the possible defective sites in the grt/grt thyroid gland.

Keywords: grt/grt mouse; thyroid gland; thyroid-stimulating hormone; thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor

Document Type: Short communication

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-4520.2005.00073.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Regulation Biology, Faculty of Science, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan

Publication date: 2005-09-01