VIP occurs in intrathyroidal nerves and stimulates thyroid hormone secretion

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is known to have powerful effects on the secretion from several endocrine and exocrine glands, and occurs in nerves with a ubiquitous distribution in the body. This infers that neuronal VIP may be a regulator of such secretion, and there is evidence that it is involved in the regulation of exocrine pancreatic function. Previous studies have shown that adrenergic and cholinergic nerves participate in the regulation of thyroid hormone secretion. We describe here combined immunohistochemical and immunochemical studies which show that the thyroid of several species is supplied with VIP-containing nerve fibres that surround blood vessels and run between and along thyroid follicles and that in the mouse neuronal VIP participates in the regulation of thyroid hormone secretion through a mechanism that is mediated by cyclic AMP.