title: Thyroid hormone effects on protein and RNA metabolism in the rat anterior pituitary.
abstract: Thyroidectomy reduced the incorporation of [3H]amino acids into total rat pituitary proteins as well as into electrophoretic fractions corresponding to growth hormone (GH) and prolactin. A single injection of thyroxine (200 microgram/kg) reversed the effects of thyroidectomy on the GH (12 h) and prolactin (36 h) fractions. Evidence for a general increase in the rate of pituitary protein synthesis following this treatment was less conclusive, but two injections of the hormone had a definite stimulatory effect. [3H]Uridine uptake by the pituitary and its incorporation into RNA were elevated for 2 weeks after thyroidectomy. Thyroxine failed to suppress these changes for at least 36 h after injection. Actinomycin C (400 microgram/kg) inhibited pituitary RNA synthesis and blocked the stimulatory effect of thyroxine on amino acid incorporation into the GH fraction. These results indicate that thyroid hormones: (1) promote pituitary protein synthesis, probably as a consequence of their effects on somatotrophs and lactotrophs; (2) exert a stimulatory effect on GH synthesis by affecting transcription.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014529:Uridine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D011506:Proteins; D003609:Dactinomycin; D012313:RNA; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013974:Thyroxine; D014529:Uridine