Guanyl nucleotide regulatory proteins in neoplastic and normal human thyroid tissue

Increased phospholipase C activity in neoplastic thyroid membrane

The phospholipase C (PLC)-protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathway appears to be important for cellular growth of many normal and neoplastic tissues. Because alterations in the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor-adenylate cyclase-protein kinase A system in some thyroid tumors do not correlate with tumor size, invasiveness, or metastatic potential, we studied the PLC activity in both normal and neoplastic thyroid tissues from 11 patients. Five of these patients had follicular adenomas and 6 had papillary carcinomas. An 8,000 x g membrane fraction and a 105,000 x g cytosol fraction were prepared from the normal and neoplastic human thyroid tissues. PLC hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol, 4,5-diphosphate (PIP2) to diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). Phospholipase C activity was determined measuring the hydrolysis of [3H]-PIP2. The activity of PLC in the neoplastic thyroid tissue membrane fraction (20.91 +/- 2.28 nmol PIP2 hydrolyzed/mg protein/120 min) was higher than that in normal thyroid membrane (14.27 +/- 0.82) (p < 0.05). In contrast, PLC activity was similar in the neoplastic (16.12 +/- 0.86 nmol PIP2 hydrolyzed/mg protein/120 min) and normal (16.66 +/- 0.60) cytosol. There was no difference between PLC activity in the membrane fraction from adenomas (21.21 +/- 3.71 nmol PIP2 hydrolyzed/mg protein/120 min) when compared with thyroid carcinomas (20.67 +/- 3.14). Neoplastic thyroid membranes have greater PLC activity than that found in normal thyroid membranes from the same patients. Although PLC activity in benign and malignant thyroid membranes was similar, the increased PLC activity in thyroid neoplasms may be responsible for or contribute to the enhanced growth of some thyroid tumors.

Effect of somatostatin on adenylate cyclase activity in normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and other substances increase adenylate cyclase (AC) activity and growth of normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue. Factors that inhibit cAMP may provide targeted therapy to tumors dependent on cAMP for growth. Somatostatin has been reported to inhibit the growth of gastrinomas and carcinoid tumors. We therefore studied the effects of somatostatin on basal, TSH, pertussis toxin, and forskolin stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue from 19 patients. Adenylate cyclase (AC) activity was determined by the conversion of alpha 32P-ATP to 32P-cAMP in pmoles/mg protein/30 minutes in an 8000 x g particulate fraction rich in thyroid plasma membranes. TSH (300 mU/ml) and forskolin (100 mM) (a diterpine that directly stimulates the catalytic unit of AC) increased AC activity in normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue. The AC stimulation was greater in the neoplasms (p less than 0.01). Somatostatin (5 x 10(-6)M) decreased basal and TSH stimulated AC activity below basal levels in both normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue (including papillary, follicular, and medullary carcinomas). The inhibition of AC by somatostatin was greater in neoplastic tissue (p less than 0.025). Pertussis toxin (which blocks the inhibitory guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein) was able to partially reverse the effect of somatostatin. Somatostatin partially inhibited forskolin stimulated AC activity. Somatostatin inhibits basal and TSH stimulated AC activity in both normal and neoplastic human thyroid tissue, with a greater effect on neoplasms. These studies establish that somatostatin blocks a major regulator of thyroid growth and provides the rationale for the use of somatostatin analogs in the treatment of thyroid cancers.

Role of thyroid stimulating hormone suppression in the management of thyroid cancer

Well-differentiated thyroid cancers (papillary, follicular, and some Hurthle cell tumors) contain membrane receptors for TSH. Responsiveness of these tumors to TSH stimuli is documented by increased radioactive iodine uptake, secretion of thyroglobulin, increase in thyroid size, and potential progression to an anaplastic type. Although TSH suppression has a variable effect on the growth of existing tumors and the incidence of recurrent disease, there is a sound rationale for long-term TSH suppression in all patients with differentiated tumors of the thyroid. The ultrasensitive TSH test permits ready monitoring of the adequacy of thyroxine dosage. The cost is minimal (approximately $.10/day) and the risks are negligible if one assumes the avoidance of hyperthyroxinemia.

Epidermal growth factor receptors and adenylate cyclase activity in human thyroid tissues

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are growth factors for some thyroid cells in cultures. We have previously found more EGF receptors in neoplastic human thyroid tissues than in normal thyroid tissues. We have also found a higher TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in neoplastic human thyroid tissues than in normal thyroid tissues. To clarify the relationship between the effect of EGF and TSH on thyroid tissue, we measured the binding of EGF and TSH and the basal, TSH-stimulated and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in 49 normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic human thyroid tissues (5 normal, 2 Hashimoto thyroiditis, 5 Graves' disease, 14 multinodular goiters, 9 follicular adenomas, 5 follicular carcinomas, 8 papillary carcinomas, and 1 undifferentiated carcinoma). Specific binding of EGF and TSH were measured by radioreceptor assays using competitive inhibition of radio-labeled ligand by unlabeled ligand. Basal, maximally (300 mU/ml) TSH-stimulated, and maximally (100 mM) forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were also measured in the same membrane particulate fractions from the thyroid tissues. We found: neoplastic thyroid tissues bind more labeled EGF than nonneoplastic thyroid tissues; follicular adenomas and carcinomas have higher EGF binding than other thyroid tissues; a weak but significant correlation between specific EGF binding and specific TSH binding, and between specific EGF binding and TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of the thyroid membrane preparations. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that TSH stimulates an increase in thyroid EGF receptors by increasing intracellular cAMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)