title: Thyrotropin-releasing hormone accelerates fetal mouse lung ultrastructural maturation via stimulation of extra thyroidal pathway.
abstract: Maternal administration of TSH-releasing hormone (TRH) in the euthyroid mouse accelerates fetal lung ultrastructural maturation. However, the mechanism(s) of TRH in fetal lung development remains unclear; it could be due to its neuroendocrine and/or neurotransmitter effects. Although the neuroendocrine effect of TRH is mediated via stimulation of the fetal pituitary-thyroid axis, the neurotransmitter effect is mediated via stimulation of fetal autonomic nervous system activity. In the hyt/hyt mouse there is a point mutation in the beta subunit of the TSH receptor in the thyroid gland of the Balb-c mouse. In these mice TSH does not bind to its receptors, leading ultimately to the development of primary hypothyroidism, which is transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. A maturational delay in the lung ultrastructure of the hyt/hyt mouse fetus has been observed. This investigation was undertaken to study the effect of maternal TRH treatment on lung ultrastructural maturation in the hyt/hyt mouse fetus. If the effect of TRH is mediated via stimulation of fetal pituitary-thyroid axis, TRH treatment should not enhance lung maturity in the hyt/hyt fetus and vice versa. Adult hyt/hyt mice made euthyroid by triiodothyronine supplementation were mated to carry hyt/hyt pups. Saline or TRH (0.4 or 0.6 mg/kg/dose) was administered to the mother (i.p.) on d 16 and 17 (b.i.d.) and on d 18 of pregnancy 1 h before killing (term, approximately 20 d). The fetal lung electron micrographs were subjected to ultrastructural morphometric analysis of the number of lamellar bodies and glycogen/nuclear ratio in type II cells, and the alveolar/parenchymal ratio by Chalkley point counting with an interactive computerized image analyzer (Optimas, Bioscan). Fetal lungs exposed to the lower dose of TRH (n = 7) showed no significant difference in their ultrastructural maturation when compared with saline-treated controls (n = 5). However, fetal lungs exposed to a higher dose of TRH (n = 6) showed increased numbers of lamellar bodies per type II cell, an increase in the alveolar/parenchymal ratio, larger air spaces, thinner alveolar septa, presence of tubular myelin, and increased numbers of air-blood barriers. We conclude that the effect of TRH in accelerating fetal mouse lung maturation is at least in part mediated via stimulation of extra thyroidal pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis University School of Medicine and the Pediatric Research Institute, Missouri 63104, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Demello
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Polk
authors.forename: U P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Devaskar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013961:Thyroid Gland; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone