Metabolism of reverse triiodothyronine by isolated rat hepatocytes.

Reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) is metabolized predominantly by outer ring deiodination to 3,3'-diiodothyronine (3,3'-T2) in the liver. Metabolism of rT3 and 3,3'-T2 by isolated rat hepatocytes was analyzed by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and radioimmunoassay, with closely agreeing results. Deiodinase activity was inhibited with propylthiouracil (PTU) and sulfotransferase activity by sulfate depletion or addition of salicylamide or dichloronitrophenol. Normally, little 3,3'-T2 production from rT3 was observed, and 125I- was the main product of both 3,[3'-125I]T2 and [3',5'-125I]rT3. PTU inhibited rT3 metabolism but did not affect 3,3'-T2 clearance as explained by accumulation of 3,3'-T2 sulfate. Inhibition of sulfation did not affect rT3 clearance but 3,3'-T2 metabolism was greatly diminished. The decrease in I- formation from rT3 was compensated by an increased recovery of 3,3'-T2 up to 70% of rT3 metabolized. In conclusion, significant production of 3,3'-T2 from rT3 by rat hepatocytes is only observed if further sulfation is inhibited.

Inhibitory action of dipyrone on rat thyroid peroxidase and lactoperoxidase activities.

Previous studies have shown that phenylbutazone, another pyrazolone, inhibits thyroid peroxidase activity and interferes with iodide organification. We have developed "in vitro" studies with rat particulated peroxidase and lactoperoxidase (LPO) to study the effects of dipyrone upon thyroid peroxidase and to determine the type of inhibition. The 3-monoiodothyrosine (MIT) and 3,5-diiodothyrosine (DIT) synthesis was markedly affected by 6 X 10(-4) M dipyrone with inhibitions of 59% and 30% respectively. No difference was observed with lower concentrations. Inhibition of peroxidase activity (Triiodide assay) was found when crude rat peroxidase preparations and LPO were incubated with dipyrone in concentrations ranging from 10(-3) M to 10(-8) M, with a Ki of 2.5 X 10(-5) M and 4 X 10(-5) M respectively. Guaiacol peroxidation was scarcely affected by the action of the drug; 10(-3) M produced inhibition of 50%. Line weaver-Burk: plots were used to investigate the inhibition of LPO activity by dipyrone. The inhibition by the drug was competitive with the iodide. We may conclude that dipyrone and other drugs of the pyrazolone group act upon peroxidase activity "in vitro", by an inhibition of competitive type and in presence of iodide.

Biochemical characteristics of iodothyronine monodeiodination by rat liver microsomes: the interaction between iodothyronine substrate analogs and the ligand binding site of the iodothyronine deiodinase resembles that of the TBPA-iodothyronine ligand binding.

T4-analogs modified at the aliphatic side chain R are substrates for rat liver microsomal iodothyronine-5'(3')-deiodinase (ITH-D). The variation of the substrate constitution allows a mapping of the ITH-D substrate ligand-binding site. Highest affinity for the ITH-5'(3')-D was presented by Tetrac among a homologous series of carboxylic acid side chain analogs. A net negative charge of the side chain and/or the blockage of the amino function increase the affinity of the enzyme-ligand interaction. However, not only charge (electrostatic interactions), but also steric (constitution) and configurational (D-, L-alanine) contributions affect the ligand-binding site interaction. These studies present further evidence that the route of deiodination is dependent on properties of the ligand-binding site and/or catalytically-active site of the enzyme, and not on the pKa-value of the 4'-OH-group of the ITH-analogue ligands. Alterations of incubation-pH change the dissociation state of the thiolate-imidazolium ion-pair of the enzyme ligand-binding site. This can provoke changes in the enzymic route of the T4-monodeiodination cascade from 5'(3')- to the 5(3)-deiodination pathway and vice versa. The same shift can be obtained by the choice of the configuration of the alanine side chain. ITH-D exhibits substrate (ligand) binding characteristics similar to both TBPA and the nuclear T3-receptor with respect to the ITH-analogue side chain constitution: All three prefer acetic acid derivatives as ligands. In contrast to the nuclear T3-receptor both ITH-D and TBPA prefer ITH-(analogues) with a 3',5'-disubstitution which yields a dissociated 4'-phenoxi group of the molecule. These similarities may suggest that ITH-binding proteins, ITH-receptors and ITH-metabolizing enzymes may represent a closely related family of proteins. They may possibly be derived from a common ancestral ITH-binding protein. The limited substrate specificity of rat liver ITH-D, which fulfills a major contribution in ITH-metabolism in vivo, may be of physiological relevance for the poorly characterized metabolism of naturally occurring (Tetrac) and pharmacologically important (D-T4) ITH-analogs.

Characteristics of rT3 5'-monodeiodination in rat brain: comparison with T4 and T3 5-monodeiodinations.

The present study revealed the existence and some characteristics of rT3 5'-deiodinase in rat brain by measuring the production of 3,3'-T2 from rT3 by radioimmunoassay. The conversion of rT3 to 3,3'-T2 was dependent on the duration of the incubation, tissue amount, temperature and pH (the optimal pH was 8.0), suggesting its enzymatic nature. Apparent Km was estimated to be 0.16 microM and the Vmax was 139.3 fmol/mg protein/min. The converting activity was dependent on the concentration of dithiothreitol (DTT). In contrast to T4 or T3 5-deiodinase, rT3 5'-deiodinase activity in the rat brain was the highest in cerebellum and the activity was low in the neonatal rat brain. Moreover, the 5'-deiodinase activity was inhibited by propylthiouracil (PTU). These differences between rT3 5'-deiodinase and T4 or T3 5-deiodinase suggest that different deiodinases are present in rat brain, and the local conversion of thyroid hormone is important for its action in the central nervous system.

Studies on the deiodination of 3,3',5'-T3 (reverse T3) to 3,3'-T2 (diiodothyronine) in rat liver.

Properties of the deiodination reaction of rT3 to 3,3' T2 in rat liver homogenate are reported and compared with T4 to T3 conversion under similar conditions. pH optimum and SH-group dependency of these two reactions are quite different, though both are concerned with 5' deiodination. The most potent activator of the reaction rT3 to T2' is dithiothreitol; the enzyme activity increases almost linearly even at very high concentration of this compound (the same is true for mercaptoethanol). Glutathione and coenzyme A, show only small activating effects. T4 to T3 and rT3 to T2' converting is being induced almost parallel in thyrectomized rats substituted with T4 or T3.

Sequential deiodination of thyroxine to 3,3'-diiodothyronine via 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine in rat liver homogenate. The effects of fasting versus glucose feeding.

The characteristics of thyroxine (T4) deiodination to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) and of each of the latter to 3,3'-diiodothyronine (3,3'T2) were examined in rat liver homogenate. Each of the four reactions was enzymatic in nature, demonstrating pH and temperature optima, and tissue and time dependence. All reactions were considerably augmented (greater than 10-fold) by the presence of a thiol agent. At pH 7.2 with 2 muM T4 as substrate, rT3 generation was 3.3 +/- 0.44 (S.E.) and T3 formation was 4.8 +/- 0.57 pmol/min/100 mg of homogenate protein. Fasting for 72 h resulted in a significant inhibition of T4 deiodination, compared to that in the glucose-fed animals, in a 2% homogenate preparation. Enzyme activity for T4 to T3 was reduced by 54% (p less than 0.05) in the homogenate from the fasted rats. Fasting lowered the enzyme activity of T4 to rT3 by 56% (p less than 0.05). Although the monodeiodination of T3 to 3,3'-T2 was also significantly depressed (p less than 0.01) by fasting, rT3 deiodination to 3,3'-T2 was not. The in vitro additon of 5 mM dithioerythritol did not reverse the effect of fasting on any reaction. These results demonstrate that a 72-h fast significantly impairs the sequential deiodination of T4 in liver homogenate. The effect of fasting appears to be mediated mainly through a reduction in enzyme concentration rather than co-factor availability.

Monodeiodination of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine to 3,3'-diiodothyronine in vitro.

To study conversion of 3,5,3'-triiodothyroinine (T3) and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) to 3,3'-diiodothyronine (T2) in vitro, T3 or rT3 was incubated at pH 7.35 with homogenates of several rat tissues (liver, kidney, muscle, heart, ling, spleen, intestines, and brain) for 15 min at 37 C. The T2 generated during incubation was measured in an ethanol extract of the incubation mixture by a specific RIA of T2; T4, T3, and rT3 cross-reacted in the T2 RIA only to an extent of 0.006, 0.2, and 0.04%, respectively. T2 was produced regularly when T3 or rT3 was incubated with liver or kidney homogenates; other tissues generated little or no T2 under similar conditions. Studies with liver homogenates revealed that production of T2 from both T3 and rT3 was influenced significantly by tissue and substrate concentractions, temperature, pH and duration of incubation. T3- as well as rT3-monodeiodinating activities were unaffected by large doses (greater than or equal to 3 micrometer) of sodium iodide, diiodotyrosine, and methimazole, but were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by propylthiouracil, iodiacetic acid, and dinitrophenol. The apparent Km for conversion of T3 to T2 approximated 6.0 micrometer and that for conversion of rT3 to T2' 65 nM. Propylthiouracil and iodoacetic acid inhibited conversion of both T3 and rT3 to T2 in an uncompetititve and a non-competitive manner, respectively. The various data suggest that 1) monodeiodination of T3 and rT3 to T2 is enzymic in nature; 2) liver and kidney may be the major sites of metabolic transformations of T3 and rT3 to T2.

Effect of experimental chronic renal failure upon the synthesis of thyroid hormones in rats.

The authors utilized two groups of adult male rats to study the effect of chronic-uremic toxemia on the synthesis of thyroid hormones. The control group was sham operated, while the other group had about 70--80% of the left kidney tissue surgically excised and a total right nephrectomy performed 10 days later. At the 90th day after the second operation, 8 muCi of 131I were injected intraperitoneally and 24 h later the thyroid was excised and hydrolyzed enzymatically for a period of 14 h at 37 degrees C. The percentages of iodinated components were then calculated after radiochromatographic separation on paper. The group of experimental rats by this time showed significant increases of plasma urea and creatinine, and an absence of acidosis. The results suggest that monoidotyrosine concentration is increased and diiodothyronine decreased in the experimental group of rats with renal failure. This might indicate a toxic metabolic blockage in the transformation of monoiodotyrosine to diiodothyronine.