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Wang F, Cai YJ, Ma X, Wang N, Wu ZB, Sun Y, Xu YX, Yang H, Liu TT, Xia Q, Yu Z, Zhu DF. Synaptic loss in a mouse model of euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis: possible involvement of the microglia. BMC Neurosci 2022; 23:25. [PMID: 35468730 PMCID: PMC9036731 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-022-00710-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune illness that renders individuals vulnerable to neuropsychopathology even in the euthyroid state, the mechanisms involved remain unclear. We hypothesized that activated microglia might disrupt synapses, resulting in cognitive disturbance in the context of euthyroid HT, and designed the present study to test this hypothesis. Methods Experimental HT model was induced by immunizing NOD mice with thyroglobulin and adjuvant twice. Morris Water Maze was measured to determine mice spatial learning and memory. The synaptic parameters such as the synaptic density, synaptic ultrastructure and synaptic-markers (SYN and PSD95) as well as the interactions of microglia with synapses were also determined. Results HT mice had poorer performance in Morris Water Maze than controls. Concurrently, HT resulted in a significant reduction in synapse density and ultrastructure damage, along with decreased synaptic puncta visualized by immunostaining with synaptophysin and PSD-95. In parallel, frontal activated microglia in euthyroid HT mice showed increased engulfment of PSD95 and EM revealed that the synaptic structures were visible within the microglia. These functional alterations in microglia corresponded to structural increases in their attachment to neuronal perikarya and a reduction in presynaptic terminals covering the neurons. Conclusion Our results provide initial evidence that HT can induce synaptic loss in the euthyroid state with deficits might be attributable to activated microglia, which may underlie the deleterious effects of HT on spatial learning and memory. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12868-022-00710-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Wang
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yao-Jun Cai
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Department of Respiratoration, Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Zhang-Bi Wu
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yong-Xia Xu
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Tian-Tian Liu
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Qin Xia
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Zhen Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - De-Fa Zhu
- Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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Andersen SL, Andersen S. Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy: evidence and hypothesis in fetal programming and development. Endocr Connect 2021; 10:R77-R86. [PMID: 33444223 PMCID: PMC7983517 DOI: 10.1530/ec-20-0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The management of hyperthyroidism in pregnant patients has been a topic of raised clinical awareness for decades. It is a strong recommendation that overt hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease in pregnant women should be treated to prevent complications. The consequences of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy are less studied than hypothyroidism, and a literature review illustrates that the main burden of evidence to support current clinical guidance emerges from early observations of severe complications in Graves' disease patients suffering from untreated hyperthyroidism in the pregnancy. On the other hand, the more long-term consequences in children born to mothers with hyperthyroidism are less clear. A hypothesis of fetal programming by maternal hyperthyroidism implies that excessive levels of maternal thyroid hormones impair fetal growth and development. Evidence from experimental studies provides clues on such mechanisms and report adverse developmental abnormalities in the fetal brain and other organs. Only few human studies addressed developmental outcomes in children born to mothers with hyperthyroidism and did not consistently support an association. In contrast, large observational human studies performed within the last decade substantiate a risk of teratogenic side effects to the use of antithyroid drugs in early pregnancy. Thus, scientific and clinical practice are challenged by the distinct role of the various exposures associated with Graves' disease including the hyperthyroidism per se, the treatment, and thyroid autoimmunity. More basic and clinical studies are needed to extend knowledge on the effects of each exposure, on the potential interaction between exposures and with other determinants, and on the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Linding Andersen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Correspondence should be addressed to S L Andersen:
| | - Stig Andersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Geriatrics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Cui L, Wang F, Yin Z, Chang M, Song Y, Wei Y, Lv J, Zhang Y, Tang Y, Gong X, Xu K. Effects of the LHPP gene polymorphism on the functional and structural changes of gray matter in major depressive disorder. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2020; 10:257-268. [PMID: 31956547 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2019.12.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Background A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the LHPP gene (rs35936514) has been reported to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in genome-wide association studies. However, the systems-level neural effects of rs35936514 that mediate the association are unknown. We hypothesized that variations in rs35936514 would be associated with structural and functional changes in gray matter (GM) at rest in MDD patients. Methods A total of 50 MDD patients and 113 healthy controls (HCs) were studied. Functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed by defining the bilateral hippocampus as the seed region. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was performed to assess the patterns of GM volume. The subjects were further divided into two groups: a CC homozygous group (CC; 24 MDD and 56 HC) and a risk T-allele carrier group (CT/TT genotypes; 26 MDD and 57 HC). A 2×2 analysis of variance (ANOVA: diagnosis × genotype) was used to determine the interaction effects and main effect (P<0.05). Results Significant diagnosis × genotype interaction effects on brain morphology and FC were noted. Compared to other subgroups, the MDD patients with the T allele showed an increased hippocampal FC in the bilateral calcarine cortex and cuneus and a decreased hippocampal FC in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), in addition to reduced GM volume in the right DLPFC, bilateral temporal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Conclusions LHPP gene polymorphisms may affect functional and structural changes in the GM at rest and may play an important role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Cui
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Zhiyang Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Miao Chang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yanzhuo Song
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yange Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Brain Function Research Sections, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.,Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Xiaohong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
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Boyes WK, Degn L, George BJ, Gilbert ME. Moderate perinatal thyroid hormone insufficiency alters visual system function in adult rats. Neurotoxicology 2018; 67:73-83. [PMID: 29684405 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Thyroid hormone (TH) is critical for many aspects of neurodevelopment and can be disrupted by a variety of environmental contaminants. Sensory systems, including audition and vision are vulnerable to TH insufficiencies, but little data are available on visual system development at less than severe levels of TH deprivation. The goal of the current experiments was to explore dose-response relations between graded levels of TH insufficiency during development and the visual function of adult offspring. Pregnant Long Evans rats received 0 or 3 ppm (Experiment 1), or 0, 1, 2, or 3 ppm (Experiment 2) of propylthiouracil (PTU), an inhibitor of thyroid hormone synthesis, in drinking water from gestation day (GD) 6 to postnatal day (PN) 21. Treatment with PTU caused dose-related reductions of serum T4, with recovery on termination of exposure, and euthyroidism by the time of visual function testing. Tests of retinal (electroretinograms; ERGs) and visual cortex (visual evoked potentials; VEPs) function were assessed in adult offspring. Dark-adapted ERG a-waves, reflecting rod photoreceptors, were increased in amplitude by PTU. Light-adapted green flicker ERGs, reflecting M-cone photoreceptors, were reduced by PTU exposure. UV-flicker ERGs, reflecting S-cones, were not altered. Pattern-elicited VEPs were significantly reduced by 2 and 3 ppm PTU across a range of stimulus contrast values. The slope of VEP amplitude-log contrast functions was reduced by PTU, suggesting impaired visual contrast gain. Visual contrast gain primarily reflects function of visual cortex, and is responsible for adjusting sensitivity of perceptual mechanisms in response to changing visual scenes. The results indicate that moderate levels of pre-and post-natal TH insufficiency led to alterations in visual function of adult rats, including both retinal and visual cortex sites of dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Boyes
- Toxicity Assessment Division, Neurotoxicology Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Laura Degn
- Toxicity Assessment Division, Neurotoxicology Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Barbara Jane George
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Mary E Gilbert
- Toxicity Assessment Division, Neurotoxicology Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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