Generation of H2O2 in isolated porcine thyroid follicles

Generation of H2O2, an essential component in thyroid hormone synthesis, was studied by biochemical and cytochemical methods. Both parts of the study were performed on isolated open pig thyroid follicles in which the cells have preserved polarity and both the apical and basal cell surfaces are exposed to the incubation medium. The biochemical studies, performed with the scopoletin fluorescence assay, showed that H2O2 was released from the follicles into the medium at a rate of 0.5-1.0 nmol min-1 mg-1 DNA under basal conditions. The H2O2 release rate was promptly increased about 10 times by addition of the ionophore A23187 to Ca2+-containing medium. TSH caused an acute but weaker stimulation of H2O2 release, whereas (Bu)2cAMP was without effect, indicating that the TSH action was linked to Ca2+. Both basal and stimulated H2O2 release were strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate. The cytochemical study, performed with the cerium technique, confirmed our previous observations on rat thyroid follicles. Reaction product was found on the apical cell surface but never on the basal cell surface or intracellularly. The apical reaction was enhanced by NADH and NADPH as well as by A23187 in Ca2+-containing medium. The apical reaction was strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate. The observations indicate that the H2O2 released from the open follicles is generated on the apical plasma membrane of the follicle cells, possibly by NAD(P)H oxidase in this membrane. Furthermore, Ca2+ seems to be an important factor in the regulation of this H2O2 generation and, through that, in the regulation of iodination.