Lysosomotropic agents selectively potentiate thrombin-induced acid hydrolase secretion from platelets.

Thrombin induces partial secretion (up to 60%) of beta-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) from untreated platelets. Preincubation of platelets with 10 mM NH4Cl for up to 2 hr resulted in a time-dependent and marked stimulation of thrombin-induced secretion of both this enzyme and other acid glycosidases from platelets. The enhancement of the thrombin-induced secretion was not due to cell lysis, and NH4Cl alone did not cause leakage of lysosomal enzymes into the medium. The effect could be reversed by reincubating the platelets in NH4Cl-free medium. Stimulation of thrombin-induced secretion also was produced by a series of aliphatic primary amines from methylamine to butylamine, and by micromolar concentrations of chloroquine. The effect of weak bases on platelets appeared to be quite specific for enhancing lysosomal enzyme secretion. Thrombin-induced secretion of adenine nucleotides from dense granules and of beta-thromboglobulin from alpha granules was slightly enhanced by NH4Cl but was slightly inhibited by methylamine. The only direct effect of the weak bases on platelets was the displacement of serotonin from dense granules. Accumulation of weak bases in acidic pools in the platelets (e.g., lysosomes) might, therefore, be responsible for the enhanced secretion of lysosomal enzymes. By using controlled digitonin-induced platelet lysis, it was found that preincubation of platelets with NH4Cl lowered the digitonin concentration required for enzyme solubilization. We suggest that loading of lysosomes with weak bases dissociates already bound enzyme inside the lysosomes, resulting in a more effective discharge upon stimulation by thrombin.     

Inhibition by monensin of dog thyroid secretion in vitro

Monensin, a carboxylic ionophore, raises the pH of prelysosomal and lysosomal compartments and inhibits lysosomal protein degradation. We tested this drug in dog thyroid slices to ascertain the role of lysosomal pH in thyroglobulin hydrolysis and hormone secretion. Monensin (10(-7)-10(-5) M) and another carboxylic ionophore, nigericin (10(-7)-10(-5) M), inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner TSH-stimulated secretion of T4, T3, and iodide. This inhibition was not toxic since: 1) 10(-5) M monensin did not affect TSH stimulation of protein iodination and cAMP accumulation; and 2) the inhibition was reversible. Secretion was blocked at a postphagocytotic, presumably lysosomal step because the time lag for the fall in secretion rate after 10(-5) M monensin addition was 19 min +/- (SD) 3 min (six experiments), i.e. the same as after lysosomotropic amine addition and significantly shorter than after addition of cytochalasin B (time lag, 43 min +/- 7 min, nine experiments), an inhibitor of phagocytosis. In addition, 10(-5) M monensin blocked the TSH-induced formation of apical pseudopods and colloid droplets and induced a swelling of the Golgi structures. In conclusion, monensin interfered with phagocytosis and with a postphagocytotic, presumably lysosomal, step in secretion by dog thyroid in vitro. Our data provide the first biochemical evidence, in the intact cell, that an acidic pH in the prelysosomal and/or lysosomal compartment is necessary for thyroid hormone secretion.     

Multisite inhibition by ipodate of iodothyronine secretion from perfused dog thyroid lobes

Cholecystographic radiocontrast agents interfere with thyroid hormones in several ways. In the present study 1 mM ipodate induced a rapid sustained and reversible inhibition of the secretion of T4, T3, rT3, 3,3'-diiodothyronine, and 3',5'-diiodothyronine from perfused dog thyroid lobes. This effect was not reproduced by infusion of 3 mM iodide and not affected by 2 mM methimazol or 2 mM perchlorate. One millimolar of ipodate inhibited secretion of T4 to 23.7 +/- 2.8% of control (+/- SE, n = 6), 0.3 mM ipodate to 59.6 +/- 3.01 (n = 4), and 0.1 mM ipodate to 80.4 +/- 5.7% of control (n = 4). In search of the site of action in the thyroid of this inhibitory compound it was found that 1 mM ipodate inhibited TSH-induced increase in thyroidal cAMP, cAMP-induced generation of intracellular colloid droplets, and liberation of T4 and T3 from thyroglobulin by acid proteases and peptidases. These processes are those thought to be inhibited during iodide inhibition of thyroid secretion, via gradual formation of an unknown iodine-containing organic intermediate. It is suggested that the inhibition of thyroid secretion observed in the present study is due to structural similarities between ipodate and this putative iodine-containing mediator of the iodide-induced inhibition of thyroid secretion.     

Cystinotic fibroblasts accumulate cystine from intracellular protein degradation.

Fibroblasts derived from patients with cystinosis, an autosomal recessive condition, accumulate the disulfide amino acid cystine within lysosomes. The metabolic defect leading to the cystine accumulation and the source from which the cystine is derived are unknown. In this report we present data showing that cystine in these cells accumulates from the degradation of endogenous protein. This conclusion is based upon: (i) no demonstrable synthesis of cystine from serine; (ii) no difference in cystine reaccumulation between glutathione-depleted and non-glutathione-depleted cystinotic cells; (iii) recovery of labeled cystine only when the protein pool is labeled; (iv) reversible inhibition of cystine reaccumulation by known inhibitors of lysosomal protein degradation (chloroquine and NH4Cl).     

Physiological role of thiol proteases in thyroid hormone secretion

To determine the physiological role of the thiol proteases in T4 and T3 release from thyroglobulin, experiments were performed with 131I-prelabelled rat thyroid lobes incubated in vitro in the presence and absence of leupeptin, an inhibitor of thiol proteases. Basal secretion of [131I]T4 and [131I]T3 from rat thyroid lobes prelabelled in vivo was quite low, but in the presence of 10 mU/ml bovine TSH a marked stimulatory effect was observed. The stimulatory effect of TSH was completely abolished by leupeptin. This was associated with marked inhibition of lysosomal proteolytic activity, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of leupeptin on T4 and T3 secretion could be attributed to its inhibitory action on proteolysis of thyroglobulin. Further evidence for an inhibitory effect of leupeptin on intralysosomal hydrolysis of thyroglobulin was obtained when thyroid lobes were incubated with 131I- in the presence and absence of leupeptin and TSH. The crude lysosomal preparation was fractionated on a Percoll density gradient, which separates 131I-containing particles into a dense peak containing purified lysosomes and a buoyant peak containing pinocytotic vesicles. A marked increase in the 131I-content of the dense peak was observed in the presence of TSH + leupeptin. Analysis of the 131I in the dense fraction by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that leupeptin inhibited degradation of 19S thyroglobulin, especially the formation of [131I]peptides of MW less than 14K.     

Acute in vitro thyrotropin regulation of lysosomal enzyme activity in the thyroid follicular cell

The acute effect of a physiological concentration (1 mU/l) of thyrotropin (TSH) on the activity of four lysosomal enzymes in the thyroid follicular lining cell has been studied by quantitative cytochemical techniques. N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity was increased by 14% after 10 min TSH stimulation and NAG and beta-galactosidase activities were increased by 24% and 25% respectively (P less than 0.05) after 20 min stimulation and by 40% and 45% (P less than 0.05) respectively after 30 min stimulation with TSH, indicating an early processing of these carbohydrate residues in thyroglobulin. Acid phosphatase activity, an acid hydrolase unrelated to the hydrolysis of thyroglobulin, was unchanged 30 min after TSH stimulation. Leucyl-beta-naphthylaminidase (LNA) activity changed biphasically with peak activities of 7 and 25 min possibly representing an early fusion of endocytotic vesicles and lysosomes and later the release process of the thyroid hormones. The changes in LNA activity and thus membrane permeability were not reflected in the other enzyme activities studied. This may indicate that the TSH regulation of lysosomal enzyme activities could be independent to the endocytotic process, which is known to involve fusion of lysosomes and endocytotic vesicles. In conclusion we have demonstrated for the first time with physiological concentrations of TSH a specific acute regulation of some lysosomal enzyme activities which may be involved in thyroglobulin processing. Further, these effects may be independent of the changes in lysosomal membrane permeability due to formation of secondary lysosomes.     

Pharmacologic perturbation of rat liver lysosomes: effects on release of lysosomal enzymes and of lipids into bile

Hepatocyte lysosomes disassemble materials derived from intracellular sources, including lipid-containing membranes, by a process called autophagy. In addition, hepatocyte lysosomes can release their contents into bile by exocytosis. Therefore, using both in vivo and in vitro models, we tested the hypothesis that acute pharmacologic induction of autophagy would modify the biliary excretion of lysosomal protein and of lipids. We treated rats with a single dose of chloroquine (10 mg/kg), glucagon (1 mg/kg), or control solutions and collected bile via bile fistulas. Both chloroquine and glucagon immediately caused a marked and parallel decrease in biliary excretion of three lysosomal enzymes, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, and beta-galactosidase, to 25%-30% of baseline values (p less than 0.01). This decrease was sustained for 2 h after glucagon and 4 h after chloroquine administration. In contrast, biliary lipid changes were minor: a slight lowering of biliary cholesterol secretion after chloroquine (p less than 0.05), but no change in biliary bile acids, cholesterol, and phospholipid secretion after glucagon. Changes in biliary excretion of lysosomal enzymes accompanying chloroquine and glucagon administration were associated with morphologic evidence of autophagy as assessed by electron microscopy and by increased fragility of hepatic lysosomes as assessed by latency of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase. These in vivo changes in biliary lysosomal enzyme excretion induced by chloroquine and glucagon were confirmed in vitro using the isolated perfused rat liver. Thus, acute induction of autophagy results in conservation of hepatic lysosomal protein and has virtually no effect on biliary lipid excretion.     

Studies on the mechanism of acute inhibition of thyroglobulin hydrolysis by iodine

Iodine in excess is known to acutely inhibit thyroidal secretion. In the present study we have characterized the time course of the iodine effect in vitro and investigated the underlying mechanisms. Labelled thyroid glands were cultured in vitro in medium containing mononitrotyrosine, an inhibitor of iodotyrosine deiodinase. The rate of hydrolysis of labelled thyroglobulin was measured as the proportion of labelled iodotyrosines and iodothyronines recovered at the end of culture and was used as an index of thyroidal secretion. Thyrotrophin (TSH) administered in vivo acutely stimulated the rate of thyroglobulin hydrolysis. Addition of NaI to the culture medium acutely inhibited both basal and TSH-stimulated thyroglobulin hydrolysis. The effect of iodide was demonstrable after 2 h, maximal after 6 h and was not reversible upon removal of iodide. Iodide abolished the dibutyryl cAMP induced stimulation of thyroglobulin hydrolysis. Iodide required organic binding of iodine for its effect but new protein or RNA synthesis was not necessary. The inhibitory effects of iodide and lysosomotrophic agents such as NH4Cl and chloroquin on thyroglobulin hydrolysis were additive suggesting different sites of action. Iodide added in vitro altered the distribution of label in prelabelled thyroglobulin in a way that suggested increased coupling in the thyroglobulin molecule. These data indicate that 1) the iodide effect occurs progressively over a 6 h period, 2) continued presence of iodide is not necessary once the inhibition is established, 3) iodide exerts its action primarily at a post cAMP, prelysosomal site and 4) the effect requires organic binding of iodine, but not new RNA or protein synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mechanism of cholinergic inhibition of dog thyroid secretion in vitro

It has been previously shown that carbamylcholine (10(-5) M) decreases TSH-induced cAMP accumulation and hormone secretion in dog thyroid slices. The mechanism of the latter effect has been investigated in this work. The role of a decrease of cAMP level as the sole mediator of the inhibition of secretion was excluded: the inhibition persisted in the presence of 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine at 10(-4) M, which completely abolished the carbamylcholine-induced decrease in cAMP. Moreover, carbamylcholine also inhibited secretion when the slices were incubated with 0.4 mM (Bu)2cAMP. Scanning electron microscopic studies showed that carbamylcholine added at the same time as TSH blocked the formation of pseudopods in response to TSH within 2 min. The kinetic and morphological effects of carbamylcholine added at the same time as, or 90 min after, TSH were similar to those of cytochalasin B (3 micrograms/ml). After carbamylcholine addition at time 90 min, the stimulated secretion rate persisted unchanged for 46 +/- 10 min (mean +/- SD) (n = 6). During this period the colloid droplets disappeared from the cells. Carbamylcholine, like cytochalasin B, did not affect the basal secretion, which is independent of phagocytosis. It is concluded that carbamylcholine (10(-5) M) inhibits stimulated thyroid secretion at a step beyond cAMP accumulation by blocking pseudopod formation and not by inhibiting thyroglobulin hydrolysis or hormone diffusion.     

Effect of chloroquine on the form and function of hepatocyte lysosomes. Morphologic modifications and physiologic alterations related to the biliary excretion of lipids and proteins

In these experiments, we tested the hypothesis that chloroquine, a lysosomotropic agent which modifies protein and lipid metabolism by hepatocyte lysosomes, would alter the biliary excretion of lipids and lysosomal enzymes. We treated male rats for 5 days with intraperitoneal chloroquine (50 mg/kg body wt, n = 9) or saline (n = 8) and collected bile for 6 h via bile fistulas; rats were then killed and livers homogenized for biochemical analyses or processed for electron microscopy. Chloroquine markedly increased the biliary excretion of three lysosomal enzymes (mean +/- SEM) expressed as milliunits of activity per gram liver: N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (24.4 +/- 2.7 vs. 12.5 +/- 1.4, p less than 0.01), beta-glucuronidase (26.4 +/- 4.7 vs. 10.9 +/- 1.4, p less than 0.01), and beta-galactosidase (9.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.8, p less than 0.05). In contrast, biliary outputs of enzymes associated with other organelles (e.g., alkaline phosphodiesterase I and lactic dehydrogenase) were unaffected by chloroquine treatment. Biliary cholesterol secretion was decreased after chloroquine administration (0.28 +/- 0.02 mumol/g liver vs. 0.39 +/- 0.03 mumol/g liver, p less than 0.01), but bile acid and phospholipid secretion were not altered; as a result, cholesterol saturation of bile decreased by 22% (p less than 0.05). Hepatic activities of all three lysosomal enzymes were increased after chloroquine administration (p less than 0.04); activities of enzymes associated with mitochondria, plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and cell sap were not altered. Morphometric analysis of electron micrographs of rat livers demonstrated a marked increase (p less than 0.001) in the number of lysosomelike vesicles and autophagic vacuoles in the vicinity of bile canaliculi after chloroquine administration; also, the number of canalicular microvilli decreased (p less than 0.003) after chloroquine treatment. We conclude that altered hepatic lysosomal morphology and function after chloroquine is accompanied by marked changes in outputs of lipids and lysosomal enzymes into bile. These findings call attention to a possible role for hepatic lysosomes in modulating biliary protein and lipid secretion.     

The endocytic catalysts,Rab5a and Rab7, are tandem regulators of thyroid hormone production

Rab proteins are small GTPases that control distinct vesicular transport steps. Along the endocytic pathway, Rab5a is a rate-limiting catalyst of internalization, and Rab7 controls trafficking through late endosomes to lysosomes. The dependence of thyroid hormone production by thyrocytes on thyroglobulin endocytosis and intracellular processing in late endosomes/lysosomes suggests that its rate can be regulated by the expression or function of these endocytic catalysts. We compared the expression level and membrane recruitment of Rab5a and Rab7 in autonomous thyroid adenomas (where the cAMP cascade is constitutively activated) and surrounding quiescent tissues. The concentrations of Rab5a and Rab7, but not of Rab8, were coordinately increased up to 6-fold in adenomas, and correlated with a proportionate decrease in soluble thyroglobulin content (reflecting colloid depletion by accelerated endocytic uptake in hyperactive tissue). In adenomas, a higher proportion of Rab5a and Rab7 was membrane associated, and the equilibrium density of particulate Rab7 and iodine shifted toward lysosomal fractions, indicating that progression along the degradation pathway also was promoted. In cultures of polarized human thyrocytes from normal patients, thyroid-stimulating hormone or forskolin increased, to a similar extent, Rab5a and Rab7 but not Rab8 expression, apical endocytosis of thyroglobulin and lucifer yellow, and basolateral secretion of T(3) and T(4). Taken together, these in vivo and in vitro observations demonstrate that thyroid-stimulating hormone, via cAMP, coordinately enhances the expression of Rab5a and Rab7, which promote Tg endocytosis and transfer to lysosomes, respectively, resulting in accelerated thyroid hormone production.     

Thyroxine (T4) release from thyroglobulin and its T4-containing peptide by thyroid thiol proteases

Two thiol proteases, TP-1 and TP-2, were purified 500- and 400-fold, respectively, from hog thyroid lysosomal extracts and examined for their activities as releasers of T4 1) from hog thyroglobulin, 2) a fragment (mol wt, approximately 15,000) prepared therefrom, and 3) a T4-containing peptide (19 amino acid residues) derived from the fragment, by measuring the liberation of free T4 with reversed phase HPLC. TP-1 released 8%, 55%, and 95% of the bound T4 present in thyroglobulin, the fragment, and the peptide, respectively, after incubation for 8 h. TP-2, on the other hand, released only 2% of the bound T4 in thyroglobulin and liberated no T4 from the fragment and the peptide. The release of T4 from thyroglobulin by the action of TP-1 was increased approximately 2-fold by the addition of TP-2. This synergistic effect suggested that TP-1 can release T4 from thyroglobulin much more efficiently after the protein has been partially degraded by the action of TP-2, which has only a poor T4-releasing activity. It also suggested that the T4-releasing activity of TP-1 markedly increases as the size of protein substrate is decreased. The amino acid composition of the T4-containing peptide was identical with that previously isolated from bovine thyroglobulin, and this peptide sequence has been shown to be derived from the NH2-terminal portion of the thyroglobulin. This suggests that TP-1 can release T4 at least from the NH2-terminal region of thyroglobulin.     

Effect of calmodulin inhibitors on thyroid hormone secretion

The effect of calmodulin inhibitors, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene sulfonamide (W-7) and trifluoperazine, on TSH-induced thyroid hormone secretion from rat thyroid was examined in vivo and in vitro. The ip administration of 5 mg W-7 to the rat inhibited T4 and T3 secretion from rat thyroids at 2, 3, and 4 h after the ip injection of 2 IU TSH, and so did the ip injection of trifluoperazine at 3 and 4 h. However, the ip injection of N-(6-aminohexyl)-1-naphthalene sulfonamide as a control substance did not show any significant inhibition of T4 and T3 release. To identify the site of action of calmodulin, the effect of W-7 on (Bu)2cAMP-induced thyroid hormone secretion was tested in vitro. One hundred micromolar W-7 completely inhibited T4 release from the rat thyroid when it was enhanced by TSH or (Bu)2cAMP, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of W-7 is subsequent to cAMP formation. These results suggest that calmodulin may play a role in thyroid hormone secretion from the thyroid, acting beyond cAMP formation.     

Modulation of thyroglobulin release by dog thyroid slices

Nonbutanol-extractable 131I (NBE131I) release by dog thyroid slices in vitro has been shown previously to be primarily thyroglobulin (Tg); it is stimulated by TSH. NBE131I (Tg) release has therefore been considered as an in vitro model of thyroglobulin secretion and was further characterized in this work. TSH-stimulated NBE131I (Tg) release, like TSH-stimulated BE131I (T4, T3 and iodide) release was reproduced by forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase. TSH-, (Bu)2cAMP- and forskolin-stimulated NBE131I (Tg) release was inhibited by 10(-5) M carbamylcholine, an effect relieved by 10(-5) M atropine, but not by 10(-4) M 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine. NBE131I (Tg) release was observed in the presence of 2 mM methimazole and 2 mM perchlorate. Cooling the slices to 20 degrees C or addition of 10(-5) M monensin completely blocked the formation of apical pseudopods and BE131I release but not NBE131I (Tg) release. Inhibition by 500 microM chloroquine of intralysosomal Tg hydrolysis and BE131I release did not enhance NBE131I (Tg) release. Cytochalasin B induced a concentration-dependent increase in basal and TSH-stimulated NBE131I (Tg) release at concentrations which depressed TSH-stimulated BE131I release. Removal of Ca2+ from the medium and slices by 10(-3) M or 10(-4) M EGTA increased NBE131I (Tg) release. In conclusion, in dog thyroid slices, TSH-stimulated NBE131I (Tg) release was mediated by cAMP and inhibited by 10(-5) M carbamylcholine at a step beyond cAMP. It was not neosynthesized Tg. It did not seem to require the formation of apical pseudopods or to result from the escape from lysosomes of undegraded thyroglobulin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Studies on the posttranslational migration and processing of thyroglobulin: use of inhibitors and evaluation of the role of phosphorylation

A study of the synthesis and migration of thyroglobulin has been carried out by the incubation of calf thyroid slices in the presence of [14C]leucine followed by the separation of intracellular compartments from the colloid by differential and density gradient centrifugation. The effect of inhibitors on these processes has been examined and, moreover, the importance of phosphorylation as an additional posttranslational modification of thyroglobulin has been explored through the characterization of the radiolabeled constituents formed after slice incubation with [32P]phosphate. Movement of newly synthesized thyroglobulin through the cellular compartments was found to be rapid; after a 15-min incubation with [14C]leucine a substantial portion (30%) of the immunoprecipitable radiolabeled thyroglobulin was already present in the colloid (soluble) fraction. Incubations performed after brief pretreatment with colchicine resulted in the accumulation of radiolabeled thyroglobulin in the colloid, suggesting that in the uninhibited state a large proportion of the newly synthesized thyroglobulin is reabsorbed and degraded. Vinblastine and cytochalasin B had similar but smaller effects. More prolonged preincubation with colchicine led to a substantial decrease in thyroglobulin formation, suggesting that the synthetic and reabsorptive steps have different degrees of sensitivity to agents affecting the microtubule-microfilament apparatus. Uptake of radiolabeled thyroglobulin from the colloid was also inhibited by chloroquine, which caused a block in the lysosomal degradation of this protein but did not affect its synthesis. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern of immunoprecipitated thyroglobulin prepared after incubation of slices with radiolabeled substrates was that of a doublet. When, however, the incubation of either calf or rat thyroid segments was terminated by boiling in sodium dodecyl sulfate-2-mercaptoethanol, one band predominated, corresponding to the slowest of the immunoprecipitated components; it is suggested that the thyroglobulin molecule contains regions of great protease sensitivity which are responsible for the heterogeneous high mol wt pattern usually seen, but that physiologically this peptide trimming does not occur before secretion from the cell. Incubation of thyroid slices with [32P]phosphate led to incorporation of label into immunoprecipitable thyroglobulin associated with both the intracellular and colloid compartments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Methimazole increases thyroid-specific mRNA concentration in human thyroid cells and FRTL-5 cells.

Methimazole (1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole; MMI) increases thyroglobulin mRNA and thyroid peroxidase mRNA concentration in human thyroid cells and in FRTL-5 cells. MMI (1-10,000 microM) gives a dose-dependent increase of thyroglobulin concentration in the medium of human thyroid cells and FRTL-5 cells. The stimulation by MMI has no effect on the TSH-induced cAMP production and occurs in the presence or absence of thyrotropin (TSH). TSH increases the thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase mRNA synthesis in human thyroid cells and FRTL-5 cells. The accumulation of thyroglobulin in the medium has an optimum at 100 microU TSH/ml in FRTL-5 cells. This optimum can also be found in most human thyroid cell cultures.     

Relation between pH regulation and iodide transport in turtle thyroid glands

Mechanisms of pH recovery after alkalinization and acidification by exposing or prepulsing turtle thyroid slices with a Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) containing NH4Cl or CO2 were studied by examining the effects of amiloride, 4-acetamido-4'-isocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (SITS), frusemide and acetazolamide, and of reducing the concentration of Na+ or Cl- in the incubation medium. When alkalinization was produced either during exposure to NH4Cl or after a CO2 pulse, the pH in thyroid slices rose rapidly and then recovered gradually. Addition of SITS (0.1 mmol/l) or reduction of the Cl- concentration markedly inhibited pH recovery. However, amiloride (0.1 mmol/l) and low Na+ in the medium had no significant effect on recovery from alkalinization induced by NH4Cl exposure or by a CO2 pulse. These data suggest that pH recovery from alkalinization in turtle thyroid gland is achieved by an exchange of internal HCO3- for external Cl-. When acidification was accomplished by either exposure to CO2 or removal of NH4Cl, the pH of thyroid slices fell rapidly and then recovered gradually. If amiloride was added or the Na+ concentration in the medium was reduced, the pH recovery was greatly attenuated. However, SITS and low Cl- in the medium did not affect the recovery from an acid load in turtle thyroid slices. These results suggest that pH recovery from acidification in turtle thyroid gland is achieved by an exchange of internal H+ for external Na+. Both frusemide and acetazolamide prevented the pH recovery in turtle thyroid slices during exposure to and withdrawal from NH4Cl. These results suggest that besides the Na(+)-H+ and Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange processes, other mechanisms may also be involved in pH regulation in turtle thyroid glands. Simultaneous uptakes into turtle thyroid slices of 125I- and 22Na+ and of 125I- and 36Cl- were studied during and following exposure to NH4Cl in the absence and presence of different transport inhibitors, such as frusemide, amiloride, SITS and acetazolamide. When the thyroid slices were exposed to HBSS containing 30 mmol/l NH4Cl (alkalinization phase), the tissue/medium (T/M) ratios of 125I- increased gradually, reached the highest point in 10 min, and were maintained at this level for the next 20 min. The T/M ratios of 22Na+ and 36Cl- of thyroid slices also slowly increased after exposure to NH4Cl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The effect of varying iodine content on the proteolytic activity of rat thyroid lysosomes

The possibility that the iodine supply modulates thyroid lysosomal activity was investigated in rats receiving chronic or acute increasing doses of iodide. The lysosomal activity or the various experimental groups was determined by measuring the activity of beta-glycerophosphatase and cathepsin D both in thyroid homogenates and in semipurified thyroid lysosomal preparations, and the degradation of labelled thyroglobulin by the various lysosomal fractions. In the chronic experiments beta-glycerophosphatase and cathepsin D activities increased with the iodide supply of the animals up to 100 micrograms I/rat and decreased slightly thereafter. In the acute experiments the activity of these enzymes increased up to 1000 micrograms I/rat and decreased above 5000 micrograms I/rat. The proteolytic activity of lysosomal fractions from the various experimental groups towards thyroglobulin decreased slightly with increased iodide supply both in chronic and acute experiments. The results suggest that thyroid lysosomal activity may participate in the autoregulation of thyroid secretion by inducing synthesis of new enzymes and modulating thyroglobulin degradation.