Thyroid Flashcards
What do the paraythyroid glands do?
- Sense Ca2+ 2. Secrete PTH
Where do you find C cells?
In between follicles
What would an underactive follicle look like?
- Flattened thyroid epithelial cells - Increased colloid
What would an overactive follicle look like?
- Tall columnar epithelial cells - Reduced colloid
What is a cause of congenital hypothyroidism?
- Failure of the gland to develop due to a PAX8 mutation
What can the thyroid leave behind when it migrates from the back of the pharynx to
- Lingual thyroid (between posterior 1/3 and anterior 2/3 of tongue) 2. Restrosternal thyroid The thyroid starts at the back of the oropharynx and migrates down from there, passing in front of the hyoid bone and then behind it
What would you leave behind when you have failure of thyroglossal duct to atrophy?
Thyroglossal cyst
What is the colloid made of?
Thyroglobulin
What are the normal epithelial cells of the thyroid?
Cuboidal (more sphere like) NB. they have villi and secretory products on their surface 1. They make thyroid hormones
What is calcitonin?
- Peptide hormone 2. Antagonises PTH :. calcium goes down
What does TSH stimulation cause?
- Increased cAMP 2. Increased iodination of thyroglobulin 3. Increased no. of microvilli and length at luminal cell surface so it can process and secrete more thyroglobulin 4. Increase intracellular volume and endocytosis of colloid droplets 5. Increased thyroid hormone release (so more thyroglobulin can re-secreted) 6. Increased iodide influx into the cell - relatively late effect as activation of the iodide pump requires protein synthesis 7. Increased cellular metabolism 8. Increased protein synthesis (inc. thyroglobulin) 9. Increased DNA synthesis (mitosis and cell division are limited in adult thyroid)
How is iodide taken up?
- Taken up from blood by thyroid epithelial cells 2. Via sodium iodide symporter 3. Once inside cell, iodide transported into lumen of follicle via pendrin
What is the role of thyroid peroxidase?
- Found in apical (colloid facing) membrane of thyroid epithelium 2. Causes organification (addition of iodide to tyrosine) through an oxidation reduction –> need hydrogen peroxide which is made separately in the cell by NADH and oxygen 3. Causes coupling to make T3 or T4 from two iodotyrosines NB. Even when coupled the tyrosine is stuck to thyroglobulin in colloid
How do you liberate the T3/4 from the colloid?
- Endocytosis of colloid at apical border 2. Lysosomal degradation to release free hormone (contains proteases in acidic env.) 3. Diffusion of T4/3 into blood 4. Recycling of liberated MIT/DIT (not all is converted into T4/3)
How is T3/4 transported in blood?
- 99.9% bound to 3 different proteins:
- Thyroxine binding protein (binds both T3 and 4) - 75%
- Transthyreitin - 20%
- Albumin -5%
- Only 0.1% is free - biologically active as protein bound cannot enter plasma membrane
What are the physiological actions of T3/4?
- Increase basal metabolism - generates heat to regulate body temperature
- Promote growth and development with GH
- Cardiovascular (ionotropic and chronotropic)
- Regulates alertness and development of fetal brain
- Modulare actions of other hormones:
- Antagonises insulin
- Decreases TRH (this is made in hypothalamus and causes the release of TSH from AP) secretion and release
- Decreases GHRH secretion
- Syngergistic with adrenaline:
- Increases lipolysis
- Increases glycogenolysis
- Increases heart rate
How are T3 and T4 transported across membranes?
Through active transport
How does deiodination of T4 occur?
- Activation:
* Outer ring deiodination by D1/D2 - Inactive reverse T3:
* Inner ring deiodination by D3 - Complete inactivation:
* Both inner and outer ring deiodination by D3 and D1/D2
How does T3 cause transcription?
- T3 binds to nuclear receptor (member of steroid-thyroid hormone receptor and bound to DNA in resting state)
- 3 states:
- Active repression:
* RXR + TR with corepressors on TRE - Active transcription:
* RXR + TR + T3 = recruits coactivators :. histones are acelyated which opens so DNA is ready to be transcribed - Permissive transcription:
- In between state
- Still have co-activator complex around
- Genes are still transcribed at lower level as no ligand bound hormone receptor but not actively repressed