Central nervous regulation of pituitary TSH response induced by thiouracil treatment or by thyroidectomy

The serotoninergic neuron system of the midbrain and hypothalamus was previously shown to inhibit the basal secretion of the TRH-TSH-thyroid axis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the serotoninergic system on the TSH response of the adenohypophysis to specific loads. Serum TSH levels were determined 7 days after thyroidectomy or the beginning of thiouracil administration. Animals were simultaneously treated either by intrahypothalamic implantation of serotonin-containing needles or by intraventricular or daily subcutaneous injections of the same drug. The thiouracil-induced goitre formation and increase in serum TSH concentration were significantly diminished by serotonin treatment. Similarly, the thyroidectomy-induced rapid rise in TSH blood level was also remarkably inhibited in the serotonin-treated animals. Serotonin was proved to influence rather TRH-output than pituitary TSH secretion, since exogenous TRH, injected to serotonin-pretreated animals had the same TSH-mobilizing potency as found in the not premedicated group. It is concluded that besides the inhibition of the basal secretion of the TRH-TSH-thyroid axis by serotonin, there is an integrative role of the serotoninergic system in the mediation of the reactivity of this circuit in reply to specific influences loading pituitary-thyroid function.