Inhibition of thyrotropin-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate formation in rat thyroid cells by an adenosine analog. Evidence that the inhibition is mediated by the putative inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.

Addition of N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (PIA) to cultured FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells led to a concentration-dependent inhibition of TSH-stimulated cAMP formation. Half-maximal inhibition was attained with approximately 0.5 nM PIA. Forskolin and cholera toxin-stimulated cAMP production were also inhibited by PIA. 3-Isobutyl-methylxanthine inhibited the effect of PIA. These results are consistent with the presence of inhibitory adenosine receptors (Ri). Ri-sites were further demonstrated by the binding of 3H-cyclohexyl-adenosine to FRTL-5 plasma membranes. High (Kd = 0.50 +/- 0.07 nM) and low affinity (Kd = 5.95 +/- 2.33 nM) binding sites were observed. Pretreatment of FRTL-5 cells with pertussis, but not cholera, toxin effectively antagonized the inhibitory effects of PIA on cAMP production. ADP-ribosylation of FRTL-5 membranes with [32P]-NAD in the presence of cholera or pertussis toxin specifically labeled a 45,000 and 41,000 Mr species, respectively, which correspond to the alpha subunit of the stimulatory and inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins. These results demonstrate that PIA inhibits TSH-stimulated cAMP production via Ri-sites on FRTL-5 thyroid cells. PIA appears to exert its inhibitory effects through the inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.