The Thyroid Gland Flashcards
Where is the parathyroid? What nerve runs close?
- Embedded in thyroid
- Left recurrent laryngeal nerve runs close (supplies vocal cords)
Describe the embryology of the thyroid gland?
- Midline outpouching from floor of pharynx (originates from base of tongue)
- Development of thyroglossal duct
- Divides into 2 lobes
- Duct disappears leaving foramen caecum
- Final position by week 7
- Thyroid gland then develops
What is T4 and T3?
- Thyroxine (T4) is the main hormone product of the thyroid gland
- Deiodinated to triiodothyronine (T3), its bioactive form, in target tissues
- Also deiodinated in a different position to produce reverse T3 (inactive)
What is tyrosine?
- Amino acid (part of thyroglobulin)
1. Iodine added to form 3-monoiodotyrosine
2. 2 iodine added to form 3,5 diiodotyrosine - If 1 and 2 combines get 3,5,3 triiodothyronine (T3)
- If 2 2’s combine get 3,5,3,5-tetrta-iodothyroinine (T4)
What is 3,5,3,5-tetrta-iodothyroinine (T4) also known as?
Thyroxine
What is the first step in thyroid hormone production?
- TSH secreted from anterior pituitary gland
- Arrives through bloodstream and binds to TSH-R receptor on follicular cell membrane
- Arrival of I- ions (presence of iodine is essential in making thyroid hormone)
- Iodide ions and through Na+ I- transporter crosses into cell and then enter colloid
- Then this is oxidised to make iodine
What is the second step in thyroid hormone production?
- TSH binding Starts production of thyroglobulin (prohormone) it has tyrosine (amino acid that can be iodinated so can stick iodine molecule to tyrosine) residues within its structure
What is the third step in thyroid hormone production?
- With TSH-R binding activate enzyme called throperoxidase which travels into colloid
- With hydrogen peroxide the throperpxodase catalyses the iodination reactions that occur in the colloid
What is the fourth step in thyroid hormone production?
- Thyroglobulin with residues, iodine sticks onto these residues (tyrosine and iodine) then mono-iodine thyronine and mono-iodine thyroxine formed
- These couple to form T3 and T4 which are bound to the thyroglobulin
- Then these move back into follicular cell where protein bonds are broken down and they are related from thyroglobulin and are related into the systemic circulation
Describe thyroglobulin
- Each protein has 100 tyrosine residues of which about 20 can be iodinated
- If add 3 (T3) - position of where bound can be changed from reverse T3
- If add 4 (T4)
How much T3 and T4 are secreted?
Circulating T3
•80% from deiodination of T4
•20% from direct thyroidal secretion
-T3 provides almost all the thyroid hormone activity in target cells.
What is the relation between T3 andT4?
- Healthy adult thyroid gland secretes both T3 and T4
- Tetraiodothyronine (Thyroxine, T4) is a prohormone converted by deiodinase enzyme into the more active metabolite triiodothyronine (T3)
How does thyroid hormone get around body?
Mostly bound to plasma proteins
a) thyroid-binding globulin: TBG (70-80%)
b) albumin (10-15%)
c) prealbumin (aka transthyretin)
- Only 0.05% T4 and 0.5% T3 is unbound (bioactive components)
What is the effect on the cell?
- T3 and T4 enter cell via receptors
- T4 activated by deoidiodinase enzymes (located in all target tissues)
- T3 enter nucleus and binds to thyroid hormone receptor
- Where alters gene expression
What actions of thyroid hormone in babies?
- Essential for fetal growth & development, in particular that of the central nervous system
- Need to monitor mothers as baby take thyroid
What is Untreated congenital hypothyroidism?
- Cretinism
- TSH measured in new-born infant’s heel-prick test
What is action of thyroid hormone?
- ↑Basal metabolic rate (how fast cells working
- Protein, carbohydrate & fat metabolism
- Potentiate actions of catecholamines (e.g. tachycardia, lipolysis)
- Effects on the GI, CNS, Reproductive systems
What is the half lives of T4 and T3?
Half lives:
T4: ~ 7-9 days
T3: ~ 2 days