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K Mol

Publications and source records attributed to K Mol.

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Evidence for the kidney as an important source of 5'-monodeiodination activity and stimulation by somatostatin in Oreochromis niloticus L.

Radioimmunoassay of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in the thyroidal region of mature male Oreochromis niloticus revealed stores of T4 but negligible levels of T3, yielding a very low T3/T4 ratio (0.3%). 5'-Deiodination (5-D) of T4 into T3 was examined in liver and kidney homogenates in vitro by radioimmunoassay of T3 with T4 as substrate. In both organs, the 5'-D activity was temperature dependent: at 4 degrees C, T3 production was below the level of detection and maximal in both tissues at 37 degrees C; and at 45 degrees C, the enzymatic activity was reduced. T3 production seemed to reach a plateau after 60 min of incubation. The reaction required exogenous thiol cofactor (dithiothreitol) and was inhibited partially or completely by propylthiouracil depending on the concentrations used. Hepatic and renal 5'-D activities were stimulated by somatostatin (SRIF) within 4 hr, but a subsequent increase in plasma T3 was observed only when SRIF was injected together with T4, while the magnitude of rT3 production decreased. It is concluded that almost all the circulating T3 is provided by peripheral T4 to T3 conversion since T3 RIA in thyroidal follicles demonstrated insignificant T3 production. The kidney may contain the large part of the functional deiodinase which converts T4 into T3. As in mammals and unlike in other fishes, there is not only 5'-D activity, but also 5-D activity, and both may be influenced by SRIF.

Analysis of Variance

Somatostatin increases plasma T3 concentrations in Tilapia nilotica in the presence of increased plasma T4 levels.

An injection of ovine growth hormone, porcine follicle stimulating hormone, and bovine thyrotropin stimulating hormone increased in Tilapia nilotica plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) after 4 and 8 hr, whereas plasma concentrations of T3 were unaffected. An injection of somatostatin (SRIF) alone did not influence thyroid hormone levels. If, however, SRIF was injected together with these hormones, which raised plasma T4, or together with T4 itself, an increase in plasma concentrations of T3 could be observed, whereas the increase in rT3 was less pronounced. It is concluded that SRIF may change the normal 5-deiodinase (5-D) activity and increased rT3 during hyperthyroxinemia into a 5'-D activity and a rise in T3, respectively, in T. nilotica.

Animals

Stimulation of thyroid function by several pituitary hormones results in an increase in plasma thyroxine and reverse triiodothyronine in tilapia (Tilapia nilotica).

In this study, intravenous injection of several doses of porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH: 0.002, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.5 micrograms/g body wt), bovine TSH (bTSH: 0.5 micrograms/g body wt), and ovine growth hormone (oGH: 0.04, 0.02, and 0.4 microgram/g body wt) stimulated an increase in plasma thyroxine (T4) and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) in tilapia. This effect occurred in a dose-dependent manner. pFSH was the most potent in stimulating thyroid function. The dose of 0.002 microgram pFSH/g body wt increased plasma levels of T4 over control levels (2.59 +/- 0.16 ng/ml) about 2.5-fold within 4 hr, whereas a concentration of 0.5 micrograms/g body wt caused a great and prolonged increase of T4 and rT3 levels. Control levels (2.59 +/- 0.16 ng/ml for T4 and 40.37 +/- 8.60 pg/ml for rT3) were increased 19- and 22-fold respectively, over 24 hr. An increase of T4 and rT3 levels occurred also after injection of total hypophyseal extract and Con A II glycoprotein fraction of a tilapia pituitary homogenate, whereas the protein fraction failed to alter plasma concentrations of T4 and rT3. rT3 levels were also significantly increased at 2 hr, but not at 1 hr, after injection of T4. Basal T3 levels (1.90 +/- 0.22 ng/ml) were reduced by half over 24 hr in all experiments. These results suggest the existence, in tilapia, of a 5-D pathway deiodination of T4 which is pituitary independent. Stimulation of T4 release is always followed by an increase in plasma rT3 levels.

Animals