Basic fibroblast growth factor (basic FGF) in isolated ovine thyroid follicles: thyrotropin stimulation and effects of basic FGF on DNA synthesis, iodine uptake and organification, and the release of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins.

We examined the effects of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on basic fibroblast growth factor (basic FGF) expression in isolated ovine thyroid follicles in vitro, and the effects of exogenous basic FGF on thyroid growth and function, to elucidate the significance of increased basic FGF expression during TSH-induced rat thyroid hyperplasia in vivo. Primary cultures of ovine thyroid follicles were maintained in serum-free Ham's modified F-12M medium containing transferrin, somatostatin, and glycyl-histidyl-lysine (designated 3H) with or without basic FGF alone, or in combination with TSH (100 microU/mL) and cortisol (10 nM). Following 48 h incubation, cells were harvested and total RNA prepared for the detection of basic FGF mRNA using Northern blot analysis and ribonuclease protection assay. Basic FGF in the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix fractions was quantified by radioimmunoassay. Basic FGF mRNA transcripts of 3.7, 3.0, and 2.2 kb, respectively, were found in thyroid follicles cultured in 3H medium, and the abundance of each increased between 2- and 3-fold following incubation with 10-50 microU/mL TSH, although higher concentrations of TSH were less effective. Similar results were seen using a more sensitive ribonuclease protection assay. Cells cultured in control, 3H medium contained 2.4 +/- 0.5 fmol immunoreactive basic FGF/micrograms cell DNA within the cytoplasm and 21.1 +/- 1.5 fmol/micrograms DNA within the extracellular matrix (mean +/- SD, n = 6). A significant increase (p < 0.05) in basic FGF content was seen in both cell compartments following incubation with 50 or 100 microU/mL TSH, while 250 microU/mL was less effective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)