title: Thyroid hormone receptor expression in the human hypothalamus and anterior pituitary.
abstract: In the present study, we describe for the first time the distribution of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoforms in the human postmortem hypothalamus and anterior pituitary using immunocytochemistry. We used a set of polyclonal antisera raised against the specific isoforms of the human TR. The distribution of TR alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1, and beta 2 was studied in consecutive sections of six hypothalami and pituitaries. Staining intensity showed strong interindividual variation but was consistently present in the infundibular nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, and supraoptic nucleus. In addition, strong TR immunoreactivity was observed in the anterior pituitary. Neuropeptide Y and proopiomelanocortin mRNA-positive cells in the infundibular nucleus, which were studied in three other hypothalami, appeared not to express TRs, and thus, the neurons expressing TRs in the human mediobasal hypothalamus remain to be characterized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A.Alkemade@nih.knaw.nl
authors.forename: Anneke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkemade
authors.forename: Chrétienne L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Vuijst
authors.forename: Unga A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Unmehopa
authors.forename: Onno
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vennström
authors.forename: Wilmar M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wiersinga
authors.forename: Dick F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Swaab
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fliers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis; D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone