Local hormone networks and intestinal T cell homeostasis.
Neuroendocrine hormones of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis can exert positive or negative immunoregulatory effects on intestinal lymphocytes. Small intestine epithelial cells were found to express receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and to be a primary source of intestine-derived thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The gene for the TSH receptor (TSH-R) was expressed in intestinal T cells but not in epithelial cells, which suggested a hormone-mediated link between lymphoid and nonhematopoietic components of the intestine. Because mice with congenitally mutant TSH-R (hyt/hyt mice) have a selectively impaired intestinal T cell repertoire, TSH may be a key immunoregulatory mediator in the intestine.
Wang
J
J
Department of Biological Science and Mervin Bovaird Center for Studies in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA.
Whetsell
M
M
Klein
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D006706:Homeostasis; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D017354:Point Mutation; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018025:Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D018025:Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin