Effects of proinflammatory cytokines on anterior pituitary 5 '-deiodinase type I and type II

Cytokines are locally produced in the anterior pituitary and act through pa ra-/autocrine mechanisms to modulate cell growth and hormone production. 5' -Deiodinases type I (D1) and type II (D2) are also expressed in the anterio r pituitary and play an integrative role in the regulation of hormone produ ction and pituitary feedback. D1 activity is known to be regulated by proin flammatory cytokines in liver and thyroid. Therefore, we examined the effec ts of IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF alpha on 5'-deiodinase activities in reaggreg ates of rat anterior pituitaries and rat somato-mammotroph GH3 cells cultur ed alone, or in a bicameral culture system together with the murine follicu lo-stellate (FS) cell line TtT/Gf. In reaggregate cultures of rat anterior pituitaries IL-1 beta stimulated D1 and D2 dose-dependently and D2 activity was increased by TNF alpha. When GH3 cells were cocultured with TtT/Gf cel ls, D2 activities were 2.3-fold lower than in GH3 cells cultured alone. TNF alpha (50 ng/ml) and IL-6 (100 U/ml) stimulated D2 in GH3 cells when the c ells were cultured alone and treated with these cytokines for 24 h. When Tt T/Gf cells in the coculture model were treated with IL-1 beta, TNF alpha an d IL-6, Ilo effect on D1 or D2 activities in GH3 cells was observed. In male, adult rats a single LPS injection (i.p.) stimulated D2 and D1 acti vities in the anterior pituitary, and decreased liver D1 activities and ser um TSH levels. In vitro, LPS stimulation of the coculture model of GH3 and FS cells also increased D1 activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) revealed that IL-1 beta and T NF alpha activate the transcription factor NF kappa beta in reaggregates of rat anterior pituitaries and in TtT/Gf cells cultured alone or cocultured with GH3 cells. Taken together, these findings imply that in anterior Pitui tary cells 5'-deiodinase activities are stimulated by locally produced cyto kines in a pam-/autocrine manner but cell types other than FS cells seem to mediate some of the effects.