Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
Institute of Anatomy, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2017 Sep 7;8(1):484. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00604-6.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis maintains circulating thyroid hormone levels in a narrow physiological range. As axons containing thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) terminate on hypothalamic tanycytes, these specialized glial cells have been suggested to influence the activity of the HPT axis, but their exact role remained enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that stimulation of the TRH receptor 1 increases intracellular calcium in tanycytes of the median eminence via Gα proteins. Activation of Gα pathways increases the size of tanycyte endfeet that shield pituitary vessels and induces the activity of the TRH-degrading ectoenzyme. Both mechanisms may limit the TRH release to the pituitary. Indeed, blocking TRH signaling in tanycytes by deleting Gα proteins in vivo enhances the response of the HPT axis to the chemogenetic activation of TRH neurons. In conclusion, we identify new TRH- and Gα-dependent mechanisms in the median eminence by which tanycytes control the activity of the HPT axis.The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis regulates a wide range of physiological processes. Here the authors show that hypothalamic tanycytes play a role in the homeostatic regulation of the HPT axis; activation of TRH signaling in tanycytes elevates their intracellular Ca via Gα pathway, ultimately resulting in reduced TRH release into the pituitary vessels.
下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺(HPT)轴在狭窄的生理范围内维持循环甲状腺激素水平。由于含有促甲状腺激素释放激素(TRH)的轴突终止于下丘脑的室管膜细胞上,这些特化的神经胶质细胞被认为会影响 HPT 轴的活动,但它们的确切作用仍然是个谜。在这里,我们证明,TRH 受体 1 的刺激通过 Gα 蛋白增加正中隆起中室管膜细胞内的钙。Gα 途径的激活增加了覆盖垂体血管的室管膜细胞终足的大小,并诱导了 TRH 降解的细胞外酶的活性。这两种机制都可能限制 TRH 向垂体的释放。事实上,通过在体内敲除 Gα 蛋白来阻断室管膜细胞中的 TRH 信号,会增强 HPT 轴对 TRH 神经元化学遗传激活的反应。总之,我们在正中隆起中确定了新的 TRH 和 Gα 依赖机制,通过这些机制,室管膜细胞控制 HPT 轴的活性。下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺(HPT)轴调节着广泛的生理过程。在这里,作者表明下丘脑的室管膜细胞在 HPT 轴的稳态调节中起作用;激活室管膜细胞中的 TRH 信号会通过 Gα 途径升高其细胞内 Ca,最终导致进入垂体血管的 TRH 释放减少。