Down-regulation of the sodium/iodide symporter explains 131I-induced thyroid stunning.
(131)I radiation therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer may be compromised by thyroid stunning (i.e., a paradoxical inhibition of radioiodine uptake caused by radiation from a pretherapeutic diagnostic examination). The stunning mechanism is yet uncharacterized at the molecular level. We therefore investigated whether the expression of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) gene is changed by irradiation using (131)I. Confluent porcine thyroid cells on filter were stimulated with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; 1 milliunit/mL) or insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I; 10 ng/mL) and simultaneously exposed to (131)I in the culture medium for 48 h, porcine NIS mRNA was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-PCR using 18S as reference, and transepithelial iodide transport was monitored using (125)I(-) as tracer. TSH increased the NIS expression >100-fold after 48 h and 5- to 20-fold after prolonged stimulation. IGF-I enhanced the NIS transcription at most 15-fold but not until 5 to 7 days. (131)I irradiation (7.5 Gy) decreased both TSH-stimulated and IGF-I-stimulated NIS transcription by 60% to 90% at all investigated time points. TSH and IGF-I stimulated NIS synergistically 15- to 60-fold after 5 days. NIS expression was reduced by (131)I also in costimulated cells, but the transcription level remained higher than in nonirradiated cells stimulated with TSH alone. Changes in NIS mRNA always correlated with altered (125)I(-) transport in cultures with corresponding treatments. It is concluded that down-regulation of NIS is the likely explanation of (131)I-induced thyroid stunning. Enhanced NIS expression by synergistically acting agents (TSH and IGF-I) partly prevents the loss of iodide transport expected from a given absorbed dose, suggesting that thyroid stunning might be pharmacologically treatable.
Department of Medical Chemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sweden. madeleine.norden@anatcell.gu.se
Madeleine M
MM
Nordén
Fredrik
F
Larsson
Sofia
S
Tedelind
Therese
T
Carlsson
Charlotta
C
Lundh
Eva
E
Forssell-Aronsson
Mikael
M
Nilsson
D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine; D027981:Symporters / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D027981:Symporters; D013972:Thyrotropin; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters