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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
08:33
An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
Rat pancreatic nuclear thyroid hormone receptor: characterization and postnatal development.
J T Lee1, E Lebenthal, P C Lee
1Division of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital, Buffalo, New York.
Gastroenterology
|April 1, 1989
Summary
Thyroid hormone receptors, specifically 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine nuclear receptors, are present in rat pancreata. These receptors play a crucial role in pancreatic development, with binding levels changing significantly during early life.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Thyroid hormones are critical regulators of metabolism and development.
- The presence and function of thyroid hormone receptors in the pancreas are not fully understood.
- Investigating pancreatic thyroid hormone receptors can elucidate the role of thyroxine in pancreatic function and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the 3,5,3 -triiodothyronine nuclear receptor in rat pancreatic tissue.
- To determine the binding kinetics and capacity of these receptors.
- To examine the developmental changes in thyroid hormone receptor expression and occupancy in the rat pancreas.
Main Methods:
- Solubilization of pancreatic nuclear fraction for receptor binding assays.
- Characterization of binding using 3,5,3 -L-triiodothyronine.
- Scatchard analysis to determine receptor affinity and number.
- Assessment of receptor occupancy across different postnatal developmental stages.
Main Results:
- Specific, saturable, and reversible binding of 3,5,3 -triiodothyronine was identified in rat pancreatic nuclear fractions.
- Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of receptors with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 0.29 +/- 0.02 x 10(-9) M and maximal binding capacity of 242 +/- 10 fmol/mg nonhistone protein.
- Receptor binding was undetectable at birth, increased significantly in early postnatal life, peaking by the third to fourth weeks, and receptor occupancy varied developmentally.
Conclusions:
- The rat pancreas possesses functional 3,5,3 -triiodothyronine nuclear receptors, indicating it is a target tissue for thyroid hormone.
- Thyroxine significantly influences pancreatic development, with receptor expression and activity changing dynamically during early life.
- These findings highlight a previously unrecognized role for thyroid hormone in regulating pancreatic growth and function.
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