title: Depletion of colloid 27S and larger thyroid iodoproteins following treatment with propylthiouracil.
abstract: By means of a micropuncture technique and microgel electrophoresis the luminal content of single rat thyroid follicles were analyzed during PTU treatment for 4 weeks. The relative amount of aggregates of thyroglobulin (i.e. the 27S iodoprotein and larger complex) was reduced from 15 per cent to approximately 3 per cent after 48 h. The aggregates were practically absent after 2 weeks. The thyroglobulin fraction was the predominant colloid constituent. The protein concentration of the colloid was not changed at the end of the period of PTU treatment (8.9 g/100 ml). It is concluded that PTU inhibits the aggregation of thyroglobulin to a larger complex. The results further indicate that the aggregates of thyroglobulin are preferentially localized to the periphery of the lumen in the larger follicles.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003102:Colloids / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007467:Iodoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011441:Propylthiouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011677:Punctures; D051381:Rats; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D007467:Iodoproteins; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D013954:Thyroglobulin