title: Delayed development of specific thyroid hormone-regulated events in transthyretin null mice.
abstract: Thyroid hormones (THs) are vital for normal postnatal development. Extracellular TH distributor proteins create an intravascular reservoir of THs. Transthyretin (TTR) is a TH distributor protein in the circulatory system and is the only TH distributor protein synthesized in the central nervous system. We investigated the phenotype of TTR null mice during development. Total and free 3',5',3,5-tetraiodo-L-thyronine (T(4)) and free 3',3,5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T(3)) in plasma were significantly reduced in 14-day-old (P14) TTR null mice. TTR null mice also displayed a delayed suckling-to-weaning transition, decreased muscle mass, delayed growth, and retarded longitudinal bone growth. In addition, ileums from postnatal day 0 (P0) TTR null mice displayed disordered architecture and contained fewer goblet cells than wild type. Protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid from P0 and P14 TTR null mice were higher than in age-matched wild-type mice. In contrast to the current literature based on analyses of adult TTR null mice, our results demonstrate that TTR has an important and nonredundant role in influencing the development of several organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Monk
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: Katarzyna M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Dziegielewska
authors.forename: Roy E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D011228:Prealbumin; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014508:Urea; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine