5. Thyroid Gland Flashcards
What hormones does the thyroid gland make?
The thyroid gland makes iodothyronines.
- T4 (tetraiodothyronines)- a prohormone (90%)
- T3 (Triiodothyronine)- an active hormone.
Deiodinase is required for conversion
- C cells (parafollicular cells)- secrete calcitonin
Describe the blood supply of the thyroid gland.
Rich blood supply.
What is the functional unit of the thyroid gland?
- The functional unit of the thyoid gland is the thyroid follicle.
- Lined by: cuboidal epithelial cells.
- Lumen is filled with colloid, iodine and thyroid hormone precursors.
- The size of the epithelial cells and colloid change depending on the activity of the thyroid follicle.
Thyroid hormones contain a large amount of _______.
iodine
Where does synthesis of thryoid hormones occur?
Follicular epithelial cells: partly intracellular and extracellular with T4 being the main product secreted.
What is the colloid made up of?
Newly made thyroid hormones attached to thryoglobulin.
Describe the conversion of T4 -> T3.
- Conversion of T4 -> T3 occurs d/t deiodinase.
- 80% is peripherally converted; 10-20% is directly secreted as T3.
Typically deiodinases work fine.
However, what can prevent them from converting T4-> T3?
- Fasting
- Medical and surgical stress
- Catabolic diseases
Cause a decrease in active thyroid secretion.
________ is the backbone for all of the thyroid hormones.
Tyrosine
How do we make monoiodotryosine and diodotyrosine?
Iodine + tyrosine.
Iodine + iodine + tyrosine.
__________ + ________ = tetraiodothyronine** (T4).**
Diiodotyrosine + diiodotyrosine = tetraiodothyronine (T4).
___________ + ____________ = triiodothyronine (T3).
Diiodotyrosine + monoiodotyrosine = triiodothyronine (T3).
The synthesis of thyroid hormones is more complex than that of most hormones.
There are three unusual features of the synthetic process:
1. Thyroid hormones have a lot of iodine, which we must get thruu diet.
2. Synthesis is intracellular and extracellular, with completeed hormones stored extracellularly in the follicular lumen until stimulated.
3. T4 is the the main secretory product, but no the active form.
What is thyroglobuin?
- A glycoprotein w/ alot of tyrosine, is made in the thyroid follicular epithelial cells and is pushed into the follicular lumen – awaiting iodination.
What transporters are located on the BL membrane of the thyroid follicular epithelial cell, facing the blood?
- NIS symporter
- Na/K+ ATPase
What transporters/enzymes are located on the apical membrane of the thyroid follicular epithelial cell, facing the follicular lumen?
- Pendrin (Cl/I- countertransporter)
- Thyroid peroxidase.
What is organification?
Process of binding iodine with TG.
Describe the process of thyroid hormone synthesis.
- Thyroglobulin (TG), a glycoprotein with a lot of tyrosine, is made on the rER and golgi apparatus of the thyroid follicular epithelial cells. It is then put inside secretory vesicles and pushed into across the apical membrane into the [follicular lumen], awaiting iodination of thyroglobulin to form precursors of thryroid hormones.
- Na+/I- symporter (NIS) on the BL membrane actively moves in 1 I- (against gradient) and 2 Na+ into the thyroid follicular cell. Known as I trap.
- Activity is regulated by I- levels. Low levels stimulate pump, attempting to compensate for deficiency.
- If the dietary deficiency is too severe, the pump cannot compensate and synthesis of thyroid hormones will decrease.
- Oxidation of I (iodide)- -> I2 (iodine): I- then moves through the apical membrane of the thyroid follicular cell via pendrin (a Cl-/I- counter transporter) where it is oxidized to I2 by thyroid peroxidase (TPO), which also catalyzes the next two steps.
- Organification of I2: I2 then passes through the apical membrane and immediately meets the tyrosine of thyroglobulin in the lumen. I2 + tyrosine of TG -> MIT (monoiodotyrosine) and DIT via t_hyroid perixoidase_. MIT and DIT remain attached to thyroglobulin in the follicular lumen until the thyroid gland is stimulated to secrete its hormones.
- Two coupling reaction occurs via thyroid peroxidase, while still attached to thyroglobulin.
- DIT + DIT -> T4
- DIT + MIT -> T3
- The first reaction is faster, which is why we make 10x more T4 than T3.
- Portion of MIT and DIT does not couple (left overs) and remains attached to thyroglobulin.
- After coupling, thyroglobulin contains T3, T4 and leftover MIT and DIT.
- Iodinated thyroglobulin is stored in the follicular lumen as colloid until thryroid gland is stimulated by TSH.
- DIT + DIT -> T4
- Endocytosis of thryglobulin: When the thyroid gland is stimulated, iodinated thyroglobulin with its attached T4, T3, MIT, and DIT, is endocytosed back into the follicular epithelial cells.
- Thyroglobulin (+ T3, T4, MIT and DIT) is hydrolyzed into component by lysosomal enzymes: While in the cell, lysosomal membranes fuse with thyroglobulin. Lysosomal proteases then hydrolyze peptide bonds to release T4, T3, MIT, and DIT from thyroglobulin.
- T4 and T3 are transported across the basal membrane and into the bloodstream.
- MIT, DIT, remain in the follicular cell
-
Deiodination of MIT and DIT inside the cell by thyroid deiodinase.
- Tyosine and I- are salvaged by the intrathryroidal deiodinase to make new thyroglobulin.
- I- made is recycled, increases in the cell and is used to export out via pendrin.
- Tyrosine are used to make new thyroblobulin next cycle.
Deficiency in thyroid deiodinase mimics what?
Dietary I- deficiency.
___ is a growth factor of the thyroid gland, which can cause goiters.
TSH
When the availability of iodide is restricted, the formation of ____ is favored.
T3
When the availability of iodide is too high, what happens?
Wolff-Chaikoff effect: describes how the thyroid peroxidase is inhibited by a large bolus of dietary iodine. This inhibits organification and we do not make a lot of thyroid hormone.
What can inhibit NIS?
Perchlorate and thiocynate.
What is PTU (propylthiouracil)?
PTU is used to treat hyperthyroidism by inhibiting thyroid peroxidase (TPO).
We will take ____ ug of iodide from ECF -> thyroid gland
____ ug of iodide will leak from the thyroid gland -> ECF.
We will take 120ug of iodide from ECF -> thyroid gland
60ug of iodide will leak from the thyroid gland -> ECF.
Where is iodine stored?
Iodine is stored iodinated as tyrosine of thyroglobulin in follicular colloid.
Enough hormone is stored as iodinated TG in colloid to last the body______
2-3 months
Activity of the thyroid gland can be assessed by radioactive iodine uptake.
- Hyperactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism/graves dz)–>
- Hypothyroididm thyroid gland –>
- Hyperactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism/graves dz) tends to take up more radioactive iodine.
- Hypothyroididm thyroid gland will not take up a lot of radioactive iodine.
How do we transport thyroid hormones?
- They circulate in the blood stream bound to plasma protein (99%) or free (1%). There is a equilibrium between bound and free circulating T3 And T4.
What are the thyroid hormone binding proteins?
- Thyroxin-binding protein (TBG) is the most predominant one. It is made by the liver and preferentially binds T4.
- Transthyretin (TTR)
- Albumin.
Most circulating thyroid hormone is T4. Thus, T3 and T4 half life and what are they affected by?
- ½ for T4 bc binds to TBG preferentially: 6 days.
- ½ for T3 is 1 day.