Acetylcholine and norepinephrine: compared actions thyroid metabolism.

Acetylcholine (ACh; 5 X 10(-4) M), like norepinephrine (NE; 6 X 10(-6) M), as shown previously, stimulated iodide organification by mouse thyroids in vitro, while at the same time it inhibited TSH- or (Bu)2cAMP-induced T4 release. However, thyroid cAMP was not changed by ACh, suggesting that ACh, like NE, exerted its effects at a step beyond cAMP production. Also, while ACh increased cGMP concentrations, (Bu)2cGMP and 8-bromo-cGMP were not effective on thyroid function in this system. Neurotransmitters, then, presumably do not exert their action through cyclic nucleotide stimulation ACh-induced stimulation of organification and inhibition of release was reversed by 10(-5) M atropine (ATR) but not by 10(-5) M d-tubocurarine, indicating that muscarinic receptors were involved. ATR also reversed inhibition of T4 release induced by NE, suggesting that the presynaptic cholinergic pathway may be responsible for stimulation of postsynaptic cholinergic and adrenergic neurotransmitters in the thyroid gland.