Structural and functional aspects of the thyroid follicular epithelium

The thyroid epithelium is morphologically and functionally polarized, with an apical surface facing the follicular lumen containing colloid and a basolateral surface facing the interstitium. Iodination and thyroid hormone synthesis occur in the colloid at the apical plasma membrane. The introduction by Mauchamp et al. of primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells grown as a polarized, confluent monolayer on a filter in a bicameral chamber system has now made it possible to study in more detail the barrier function and vectorial ion transport in the thyroid epithelium. The follicular cells form a very tight monolayer (transepithelial resistance > 6000 ohm cm2) and establish a transepithelial potential difference (apical medium negative) of about 20 mV. These parameters are rapidly influenced by TSH, mainly by an action on apical sodium channels, and by EGF. The integrity of the barrier is, as in other epithelia, dependent on extracellular calcium. A calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, uvomorulin, is expressed at the lateral plasma membrane surface. EGF induces cell proliferation as well as migration of some of the epithelial cells to a position below the monolayer, which however maintains its polarity and barrier function. In contrast, during TPA-induced proliferation the barrier function is disrupted. Iodide is vectorially transported in basoapical direction while the epithelial layer is virtually impermeable for iodide transfer in the opposite direction. Iodide is concentrated in the cell by the basolateral "iodide-pump" and its efflux across the apical plasma membrane is rapidly and selectively increased by TSH via cAMP. EGF inhibits vectorial basoapical iodide transport mainly by reducing the iodide permeability of the apical plasma membrane. Together, these recent observations indicate that the ion content of the follicular lumen is strictly controlled by the thyroid epithelium.