title: Lack of thyroglobulin synthesis as an indicator of early random dedifferentiation of the Fischer rat thyroid cell line FRTL-5.
abstract: Fischer rat thyroid cells (FRTL-5) are widely used for the study of thyroid cell function. With age or transformation the characteristics of FRTL-5 cells change, leading to poor differentiation and accelerated growth. Thyroglobulin production from FRTL-5 cells indicates differentiation to a higher extent than does the cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) response to thyrotropin (TSH) and growth. This study investigated the release of the differentiation marker thyroglobulin from FRTL-5 cells into the medium during various early subcultures compared with cAMP response and cell growth. Growth was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA and by the amount of DNA in each well. Cell differentiation was measured by release of cAMP and thyroglobulin from the cells. TSH (1 U/l) stimulated 3H-thymidine incorporation (p<0.001), release of cAMP (p<0.1x10(-6)) and thyroglobulin (p<0.1x10(-6)). However, five passages showed an unexpected lack of thyroglobulin production (less than 15 ng/microg DNA, i.e. below the limit of detection). These results were reproduced from two different cell stocks. The passages which had lost their ability to produce thyroglobulin demonstrated a significant increase in DNA content (p<0.001), and a highly significant decrease in cAMP response to TSH (p<0.00001) compared with the passages that continued to produce thyroglobulin. This study shows that FRTL-5 cells randomly change their biological properties, which is consistent with dedifferentiation of cells in early passages. Lack of thyroglobulin production is a marker of this dedifferentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. tzb@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zimmermann-Belsing
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Feldt-Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin; D004247:DNA; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D013936:Thymidine