Thyroid O'Driscoll Flashcards
How much does the thyroid gland?
15-20 grams
Where is the thyroid gland located?
below the larynx
anterior to the trachea
Describe the cellular composition of the thyroid gland.
follicular cells endothelial cells parafollicular (C) cells fibroblasts lymphocytes adipocytes
What happens in the follicular cells?
thyroid hormone synthesis
What is the fcn of the endothelial cells of the thyroid gland?
they line the capillaries that provide blood to the follicles
What is the function of the parafollicular (C) cells?
production of calcitonin, important in calcium metabolism
Describe the morphology of the thyroid follicular cells.
they are closed off follicles
lined w/ cuboidal epithelial cells
filled w/ colloid: mainly composed of thyroglobulin
What does the apical surface of the follicular/epithelial cells face? The basolateral side?
Apical: faces the lumen
Basolateral: faces the interstitium, the capillaries
What are the 2 main thyroid metabolic hormones?
T4 (thyroxine) & T3
What percentage of thyroid secretions are T4? What % are T3?
T4: 93% of secretions
T3: 7% of secretions
Which has a greater plasma conc’n: T3 or T4?
T4!!!
Which is more potent: T4 or T3?
T3!!
What is a second source of T3, aside from the thyroid gland?
Much of the T4 is converted into T3 once it reaches the tissues. This happens thru peripheral monodeiodination
What are the 5 factors involved in thyroid hormone synthesis?
TSH Thyroglobulin Iodine Membrane Transporters Enzymes
What is the structure of thyroglobulin?
large glycoprotein w/ multiple tyrosine residues
Where is the thyroglobulin synthesized, secreted, & stored?
Synthesized: thyroid follicular cells
Secreted: thru apical membrane into follicular lumen
Stored: in the colloid, in the follicular lumen
What is the function of thyroglobulin?
it is a scaffold in the follicular lumen for thyroid hormone synthesis
Why is iodine important in the diet? How much iodine do you need each week?
important for thyroid hormone synthesis
1mg required per week…we get enough in our table salt
**most preventable global cause of mental retardation
**in higher elevations, less iodine in the soil
What are the basic steps of thyroid hormone synthesis?
- Iodide Trapping
- Formation & Secretion of Thyroglobulin
- Iodide Oxidation & coupling of Iodide w/ thyroglobulin
- Endocytosis of Thryoglobulin & release of thyroid hormones
- Recycling Iodide
What is iodide trapping?
process of concentrating iodide in the cell
influenced by TSH
Describe in detail Stage 1 of thyroid hormone synthesis, the iodide trapping.
Iodide is in the capillaries by the follicles.
NIS: Sodium Iodide Symporters bring iodide into the follicle cell.
This movement is driven by the Na/K pump.
Iodide gets into the follicular lumen via pendrin (a chloride-iodide counter transporter)
T/F The concentration of iodide in the follicular cells is much lower than in the blood.
False. It is 30X higher. Thus, when transporting iodide into the follicular cell, it is up a conc’n gradient.
What physical characteristic is important for the follicular cells to transport iodide?
their morphological polarization. Wider near the capillaries, room for transporters.
What is the second stage of thyroid hormone synthesis? How does this work?
thyroglobulin is formed & secreted.
it is formed in the ER & Golgi & secreted into the follicular colloid
each molecule of it has a ton of tyrosine AA
the thyroid hormones are made within the thyroglobulin molecule
What is stage 3 of thyroid hormone synthesis? How does it work?
the iodide is oxidized & coupled w/ thyroglobulin
Details:
*iodide gets into the lumen of the follicle & is oxidized by thyroperoxidase (TPO)
*once the iodine is oxidized it can combine w/ tyrosine AA w/i the thyroglobulin molecule (called organification)
Tyrosine is first iodized to ____ & then to ____.
MIT & then to DIT
What is T4 composed of? What is T3 composed of?
T4: DIT + DIT
T3: MIT + DIT
What is reverse T3?
An inactive form of T3 that can be formed.
What all does TPO or thyroperoxidase catalyze?
oxidation of iodide
organification of iodine/iodination of tyrosines on the scaffold of thyroglobulin
Synthesis of T3 & T4
What happens if someone doesn’t have activity of TPO?
their thyroid hormone production rate falls to zero
Where is some thyroid hormone stored? How much is stored?
follicular colloid, a part of the thyroglobulin molecule
**enough is stored here to supply the body with thyroid hormone for 2-3 months–>thus when you experience iodine deficiency you won’t see the fall in levels for several months…
Where are the plasma proteins that bind thyroid hormones synthesized?
the liver
What percentage of T3 & T4 are bound to plasma proteins?
99%
What are the 3 types of binding proteins for T3 & T4? What % of T3/T4 bind to each?
TBG: Thyroxine-Binding Globulin (70%)
Prealbumin (15%)
Albumin (15%)
What is another name for pre albumin?
transthyretin
What percentage of T3 is found free? What % of T4?
Free T3: 0.3%
Free T4: 0.03%
What’s the deal with plasma proteins? Do they get overwhelmed easily?
They don't get easily saturated. Implications: *they are unsaturated *They can store 3X their amount *sudden changes in hormone secretion don't effect free thyroid very much...
Describe how pregnancy can alter thyroid hormone levels.
Pregnancy High Estrogen Levels Binding Protein Synthesis increases New Equilibrium b/w free & bound hormone Increase in total thyroid hormone levels
Why do thyroid hormones have a large reserve? Why do they have a delayed clearance?
b/c they are bound to binding proteins (longer half-life)…stored in the blood & peripheral tissues
What is the half life of T3? T4?
T3: 1 day
T4: 6 days
Why is the half life of T3 so much shorter than T4?
b/c the binding proteins have a higher affinity for T4.
How are thyroid hormones excreted?
conjugated to glucuronic acid & excreted in bile
Which has a greater biological activity? T3 or T4?
T3!!
What is the main source of T3 that is used by the body?
that that is converted from T4 in the peripheral tissues