Triiodothyronine decreases gammaglutamyltranspeptidase expression in cultured rat hepatocytes.

Recently, an increase in gammaglutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) activity and mRNA in liver of hypothyroid rats has been reported. The aim of this study was to verify if triiodothyronine (T3) can directly affect GGT expression in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Results obtained from adult rat hepatocytes cultured in serum-free medium demonstrate: 1) a rise in GGT mRNA level magnified by dexamethasone during the maintenance of hepatocytes in culture which parallels the stimulation of GGT activity; 2) a negative effect of T3 on GGT activity of cultured hepatocytes which reflects a specific inhibition of GGT gene expression. The T3 effect on GGT expression in cultured hepatocytes is in line with previous observations on hypothyroid rat liver suggesting an important role for thyroid hormone in maintaining the differentiated adult liver phenotype in the rat.