Oncostatin M: a new potent inhibitor of iodine metabolism inhibits thyroid peroxidase gene expression but not DNA synthesis in porcine thyroid cells in culture.

The functions of thyroid cells are regulated by a number of cytokines and growth factors in addition to TSH. Recent studies have revealed that several cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6 are involved in thyroid dysfunction. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a glycoprotein belonging to the same family of cytokines as IL-6, to which it is related by sequence and structural homology and the use of the signal-transducing receptor component gp130. We, therefore, studied the effect of OSM on iodide uptake and DNA synthesis by porcine thyroid cells in culture. OSM increased c-fos and c-jun mRNA levels but did not stimulate DNA synthesis. OSM inhibited iodide uptake stimulated by TSH; while IL-6 also inhibited iodide uptake, it was only about one-tenth as potent. IL-6 had about the same potency as OSM when it was added with soluble IL-6 receptor. OSM had no effect on cAMP production but inhibited iodide uptake stimulated by 8-bromo-cAMP and forskolin. These findings suggest that OSM exerts its inhibitory effects at the post-cAMP production step(s). OSM also inhibited thyroid peroxidase mRNA levels but had little effect on thyroglobulin mRNA levels. Investigations of the signal transduction system showed that gp130 and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor beta subunit mRNA were detectable in porcine thyroid cells by reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Together with the report that serum OSM and IL-6 concentrations are elevated to the same levels in patients with sepsis, these results suggest that OSM may contribute to the thyroid dysfunction in this condition.