Effect of altered thyroid status on neurotrophin gene expression during postnatal development of the mouse cerebellum

Thyroid hormone (TH) plays an important role in brain development. The rodent cerebellum has been an excellent model for the study of the molecular mechanisms of TH action in brain. However, most studies have utilized the rat rather than the mouse. Considering the usefulness of mice with regard to diverse genetic models, the study of TH effect on mouse cerebellar development is needed. Thus, we examined the effect of perinatal hypothyroidism on the expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes, which play critical roles in cerebellar development. Newborn mice were rendered hypothyroid by administering methimazole and perchlorate in drinking water to their mothers. The growth of hypothyroid mice was retarded, which was reversed by daily thyroxine administration. NT-3 and BDNF gene expression was depressed in the perinatal hypothyroid cerebellum. Furthermore, the expression of retinoid-receptor-related orphan nuclear hormone receptor-alpha (RORalpha), an orphan nuclear receptor that plays critical roles in Purkinje cell development, was also decreased. Morphologically, disappearance of the external granule cell layer was retarded and arborization of Purkinje cell dendrite was decreased, events that were also observed in hypothyroid rats. These results indicate that the mouse cerebellum is comparable to the rat cerebellum as a model for the examination of the molecular mechanisms of TH action in brain development.