Abstract
While the role of thyroid hormones(TH) in the transcriptional regulation of a wide variety of genes is well documented, its role in the regulation of the GHR and GH-binding protein (GHBP) gene is not known. To study the effect of HYP on the transcription of the GHR & GHBP gene, we induced HYP by thyroidectomy in male(HYP/♂) and female(HYP/♀) rats (n=6 each group) and four wks later compared them to age and sex matched euthyroid control rats. Compared to the control group, the HYP rats had decreased T4 (mean ± SD, 7.0 ± 1.4 vs 2.3 ± 0.8 μg/dl, p <0.01) and increased TSH (63 ± 3 vs 3 ± 0.5 ng/ml, p<0.01). After extraction of total RNA, steady state levels of mRNA for GHR & GHBP in liver were measured by northern analysis and ribonuclease protection assay. Whereas levels of hepatic GHR & GHBP mRNA were decreased (p <0.01) in HYP/♂ rats, levels of hepatic GHR & GHBP mRNA were increased (p <0.01) in HYP/♀ rats when each group was compared to its appropriate controls. These differences could not be attributed to differences in circulating levels of GH (9.8 ± 2.7 vs 13.4 ± 13.1 ng/ml, HYP/♀ vs HYP/♂). We conclude that (1) TH affects the transcription of GHR & GHBP genes, and (2) there is distinct sexual dimorhpism in the effect of HYP on GHR/GHBP gene transcription.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Menon, R., Stephan, D., Franz, B. et al. DISTINCT SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN THE EFFECT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM (HYP) ON GROWTH HORMONE RECEPTOR (GHR) & GH-BINDING PROTEIN (GHBP) GENE TRANSCRIPTION IN THE RAT. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S51 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00285
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00285