title: A firmer understanding of the effect of hypergravity on thyroid tissue: cholesterol and thyrotropin receptor.
abstract: Maintaining a good health requires the maintenance of a body homeostasis which largely depends on correct functioning of thyroid gland. The cells of the thyroid tissue are strongly sensitive to hypogravity, as already proven in mice after returning to the earth from long-term space missions. Here we studied whether hypergravity may be used to counteract the physiological deconditioning of long-duration spaceflight. We investigated the influence of hypergravity on key lipids and proteins involved in thyroid tissue function. We quantified cholesterol (CHO) and different species of sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide, analysed thyrotropin (TSH) related molecules such as thyrotropin-receptor (TSHR), cAMP, Caveolin-1 and molecule signalling such as Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3). The hypergravity treatment resulted in the upregulation of the TSHR and Caveolin-1 and downregulation of STAT3 without changes of cAMP. TSHR lost its specific localization and spread throughout the cell membrane; TSH treatment facilitated the shedding of α subunit of TSHR and its releasing into the extracellular space. No specific variations were observed for each species of SM and ceramide. Importantly, the level of CHO was strongly reduced. In conclusion, hypergravity conditions induce change in CHO and TSHR of thyroid gland. The possibility that lipid rafts are strongly perturbed by hypergravity-induced CHO depletion by influencing TSH-TSHR interaction was discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Lipid BioPathology, CRABioN, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Curcio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Lipid BioPathology, CRABioN, Perugia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Lipid BioPathology, CRABioN, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Floridi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Lipid BioPathology, CRABioN, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Samuela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cataldi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Lipid BioPathology, CRABioN, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Remo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathologic Anatomy and Histology - University of Perugia, Ospedale Santa Maria Della Misericordia - Piazzale Menghini, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Loreti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathologic Anatomy and Histology - University of Perugia, Ospedale Santa Maria Della Misericordia - Piazzale Menghini, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ambesi-Impiombato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D051242:Caveolin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018471:Hypergravity; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051242:Caveolin 1; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D002784:Cholesterol; D000242:Cyclic AMP