Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Endocrine Research, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Thyroid. 2023 Nov;33(11):1358-1367. doi: 10.1089/thy.2023.0299. Epub 2023 Sep 20.
Graves' disease (GD), one of the most common forms of autoimmune thyroid disorders, is characterized by hyperthyroidism caused by antibodies (Abs) against the extracellular A-subunit of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR). Various approaches have been used to create mouse models of GD, including transfected fibroblasts and immunization with plasmids or adenoviruses expressing human TSHR A-subunit (hTSHR A-subunit). These models, however, require repeated immunization and produce inconsistent results. In this study, we established a novel Cre-loxP system-based mouse model that is able to generate the hTSHR A-subunit, mimicking human GD, and characterized the histological changes in Graves' orbitopathy (GO) progression after a single injection. A Cre-loxP system-based mouse model was constructed by inserting the CAG-loxP-STOP-loxP-hTSHR A-subunit cassette into the Rosa26 locus of the mouse genome. Conditional expression of the hTSHR A-subunit was successfully achieved by intramuscular injection of the transactivator of transcription-Cre recombinase (GD mice). Blood tests for anti-TSHR Abs and the total thyroxine (T4) level were performed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to monitor morphological changes in the eyes. A histological examination of the thyroid gland and retrobulbar tissues was performed to observe pathological changes. Twenty-four (8 control and 16 GD) mice were investigated. All GD mice exhibited higher levels of TSHR Abs compared with the control group. Moreover, more than 80% of the mouse models showed elevated T4 levels accompanied by thyroid goiter. MRI analysis revealed an increased volume of retrobulbar tissue, while immunohistochemical staining of orbital tissues exhibited macrophage infiltration and muscle fibrosis in the GD mice, contrasting with the control group. Our novel mouse model for GD, which showed the histological features of GO, was successfully established using the Cre-loxP system. This animal model offers improved insights and contributes to advancing methodological developments for GD and GO.
格雷夫斯病(GD)是最常见的自身免疫性甲状腺疾病之一,其特征是由于抗促甲状腺激素受体(TSHR)细胞外 A 亚单位的抗体(Abs)而导致的甲状腺功能亢进。已经使用了各种方法来创建 GD 的小鼠模型,包括转染的成纤维细胞和用表达人 TSHR A 亚单位(hTSHR A-subunit)的质粒或腺病毒免疫。然而,这些模型需要重复免疫,并且产生不一致的结果。在这项研究中,我们建立了一种新的 Cre-loxP 系统为基础的小鼠模型,该模型能够产生 hTSHR A 亚单位,模拟人类 GD,并在单次注射后对 Graves 眼病(GO)进展的组织学变化进行了特征描述。通过将 CAG-loxP-STOP-loxP-hTSHR A-subunit 盒插入小鼠基因组的 Rosa26 基因座,构建了一种 Cre-loxP 系统为基础的小鼠模型。通过肌肉内注射转录激活因子-Cre 重组酶(GD 小鼠),成功实现了 hTSHR A 亚单位的条件表达。进行了抗 TSHR Abs 和总甲状腺素(T4)水平的血液检查。使用磁共振成像(MRI)监测眼睛的形态变化。对甲状腺和眶组织进行组织学检查以观察病理变化。研究了 24 只(8 只对照和 16 只 GD)小鼠。所有 GD 小鼠的 TSHR Abs 水平均高于对照组。此外,超过 80%的小鼠模型显示 T4 水平升高,伴有甲状腺肿。MRI 分析显示眶后组织体积增加,而 GD 小鼠的眼眶组织免疫组织化学染色显示巨噬细胞浸润和肌肉纤维化,与对照组形成对比。我们使用 Cre-loxP 系统成功建立了一种具有 GO 组织学特征的 GD 新型小鼠模型。该动物模型提供了对 GD 和 GO 的深入了解,并为其方法学发展做出了贡献。