Cadherins and cancer: how does cadherin dysfunction promote tumor progression?

It has long been recognized that the cell-cell adhesion receptor, E-cadherin, is an important determinant of tumor progression, serving as a suppressor of invasion and metastasis in many contexts. Yet how the loss of E-cadherin function promotes tumor progression is poorly understood. In this review, we focus on three potential underlying mechanisms: the capacity of E-cadherin to regulate beta-catenin signaling in the canonical Wnt pathway; its potential to inhibit mitogenic signaling through growth factor receptors and the possible links between cadherins and the molecular determinants of epithelial polarity. Each of these potential mechanisms provides insights into the complexity that is likely responsible for the tumor-suppressive action of E-cadherin.

A dileucine motif targets E-cadherin to the basolateral cell surface in Madin-Darby canine kidney and LLC-PK1 epithelial cells

E-cadherin is a major adherens junction protein of epithelial cells, with a central role in cell-cell adhesion and cell polarity. Newly synthesized E-cadherin is targeted to the basolateral cell surface. We analyzed targeting information in the cytoplasmic tail of E-cadherin by utilizing chimeras of E-cadherin fused to the ectodomain of the interleukin-2alpha (IL-2alpha) receptor expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney and LLC-PK(1) epithelial cells. Chimeras containing the full-length or membrane-proximal half of the E-cadherin cytoplasmic tail were correctly targeted to the basolateral domain. Sequence analysis of the membrane-proximal tail region revealed the presence of a highly conserved dileucine motif, which was analyzed as a putative targeting signal by mutagenesis. Elimination of this motif resulted in the loss of Tac/E-cadherin basolateral localization, pinpointing this dileucine signal as being both necessary and sufficient for basolateral targeting of E-cadherin. Truncation mutants unable to bind beta-catenin were correctly targeted, showing, contrary to current understanding, that beta-catenin is not required for basolateral trafficking. Our results also provide evidence that dileucine-mediated targeting is maintained in LLC-PK(1) cells despite the altered polarity of basolateral proteins with tyrosine-based signals in this cell line. These results provide the first direct insights into how E-cadherin is targeted to the basolateral membrane.

Initiation of cell locomotility is a morphogenetic checkpoint in thyroid epithelial cells regulated by ERK and PI3-kinase signals

Epithelial locomotility is a fundamental determinant of tissue patterning that is subject to strict physiological regulation. The current study sought to identify cellular signals that initiate cell migration in cultured thyroid epithelial cells. Porcine thyroid cells cultured as 3-dimensional follicles convert to 2-dimensional monolayers when deprived of agents that stimulate cAMP/PKA signaling. This morphogenetic event is driven by the activation of cell-on-substrate locomotility, providing a convenient assay for events that regulate the initiation of locomotion. In this system, the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway became activated as follicles converted to monolayer, as demonstrated by immunoblotting for activation-specific phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of ERK. Inhibition of ERK activation using the drug PD98059 effectively prevented cells from beginning to migrate. PD98059 inhibited cell spreading, actin filament reorganization and the assembly of focal adhesions, cellular events that mediate the initiation of thyroid cell locomotility. Akt (PKB) signaling was also activated during follicle-to-monolayer conversion and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) inhibitor, wortmannin, also blocked the initiation of cell movement. Wortmannin did not, however, block activation of ERK signaling. These findings, therefore, identify the ERK and PI3-kinase signaling pathways as important stimulators of thyroid cell locomotility. These findings are incorporated into a model where the initiation of thyroid cell motility constitutes a morphogenetic checkpoint regulated by coordinated changes in stimulatory (ERK, PI3-kinase) and tonic inhibitory (cAMP/PKA) signaling pathways.

Microtubule integrity is essential for apical polarization and epithelial morphogenesis in the thyroid

In this study, we examined the contribution of microtubules to epithelial morphogenesis in primary thyroid cell cultures. Thyroid follicles consist of a single layer of polarized epithelial cells surrounding a closed compartment, the follicular lumen. Freshly isolated porcine thyroid cells aggregate and reorganize to form follicles when grown in primary cultures. Follicular reorganization is principally a morphogenetic process that entails the assembly of biochemically distinct apical and basolateral membrane domains, delimited by tight junctions. The establishment of cell surface polarity during folliculogenesis coincided with the polarized redistribution of microtubules, predominantly in the developing apical poles of cells. Disruption of microtubule integrity using either colchicine or nocodazole caused loss of defined apical membrane domains, tight junctions and follicular lumina. Apical membrane and tight junction markers became randomly distributed at the outer surfaces of aggregates. In contrast, the basolateral surface markers, E-cadherin and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase, remained correctly localized at sites of cell-cell contact and at the free surfaces of cell aggregates. These findings demonstrate that microtubules play a necessary role in thyroid epithelial morphogenesis. Specifically, microtubules are essential to preserve the correct localization of apical membrane components within enclosed cellular aggregates, a situation that is also likely to pertain where lumina must be formed from solid aggregates of epithelial precursors.

The juxtamembrane region of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail supports lateral clustering, adhesive strengthening, and interaction with p120ctn

Cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules form membrane-spanning molecular complexes that couple homophilic binding by the cadherin ectodomain to the actin cytoskeleton. A fundamental issue in cadherin biology is how this complex converts the weak intrinsic binding activity of the ectodomain into strong adhesion. Recently we demonstrated that cellular cadherins cluster in a ligand-dependent fashion when cells attached to substrata coated with the adhesive ectodomain of Xenopus C-cadherin (CEC1-5). Moreover, forced clustering of the ectodomain alone significantly strengthened adhesiveness (Yap, A.S., W.M. Brieher, M. Pruschy, and B.M. Gumbiner. Curr. Biol. 7:308-315). In this study we sought to identify the determinants of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail responsible for clustering activity. A deletion mutant of C-cadherin (CT669) that retained the juxtamembrane 94-amino acid region of the cytoplasmic tail, but not the beta-catenin-binding domain, clustered upon attachment to substrata coated with CEC1-5. Like wild-type C-cadherin, this clustering was ligand dependent. In contrast, mutant molecules lacking either the complete cytoplasmic tail or just the juxtamembrane region did not cluster. The juxtamembrane region was itself sufficient to induce clustering when fused to a heterologous membrane-anchored protein, albeit in a ligand-independent fashion. The CT669 cadherin mutant also displayed significant adhesive activity when tested in laminar flow detachment assays and aggregation assays. Purification of proteins binding to the juxtamembrane region revealed that the major associated protein is p120(ctn). These findings identify the juxtamembrane region of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail as a functionally active region supporting cadherin clustering and adhesive strength and raise the possibility that p120(ctn) is involved in clustering and cell adhesion.

Molecular and functional analysis of cadherin-based adherens junctions

Adherens junctions are specialized forms of cadherin-based adhesive contacts important for tissue organization in developing and adult organisms. Cadherins form protein complexes with cytoplasmic proteins (catenins) that convert the specific, homophilic-binding capacity of the extracellular domain into stable cell adhesion. The extracellular domains of cadherins form parallel dimers that possess intrinsic homophilic-binding activity. Cytoplasmic interactions can influence the function of the ectodomain by a number of potential mechanisms, including redistribution of binding sites into clusters, providing cytoskeletal anchorage, and mediating physiological regulation of cadherin function. Adherens junctions are likely to serve specific, specialized functions beyond the basic adhesive process. These functions include coupling cytoskeletal force generation to strongly adherent sites on the cell surface and the regulation of intracellular signaling events.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation influences adhesive junction assembly and follicular organization of cultured thyroid epithelial cells

The follicular histoarchitecture of the thyroid forms the anatomical basis for thyroid physiology and is commonly disturbed in diseases of the thyroid. We have used cultured porcine thyroid cells to study thyroid epithelial morphogenesis and its regulation. When cultured in the presence of TSH, freshly isolated thyroid cells reorganize to form follicles within three-dimensional cell aggregates. However, when established follicles are washed into TSH-free medium, thyroid cells spread and migrate to convert follicles into confluent epithelioid monolayers, activating morphogenetic mechanisms, such as cell locomotility, that may be relevant to thyroid inflammation and tumor invasiveness. The phenomenon of follicle to monolayer conversion, therefore, provides an opportunity to identify morphogenetic mechanisms that 1) must be tonically inhibited to maintain follicular organization and 2) may contribute to pathogenetic disturbances of follicular architecture when functioning aberrantly. In this study we found that follicle to monolayer conversion is associated with an increase in cellular phosphotyrosine. This was particularly evident at nascent focal adhesions (cell-substrate adhesive junctions) and later at cell-cell junctions. Focal adhesion assembly was accompanied by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, with the appearance of prominent stress fibers. Genistein, a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, inhibited the accumulation of phosphotyrosine, focal adhesion assembly, and follicle to monolayer conversion. We conclude that tyrosine phosphorylation exerts an important influence on thyroid epithelial organization in culture, at least partly mediated through regulation of focal adhesion assembly.

Lateral clustering of the adhesive ectodomain: a fundamental determinant of cadherin function

BACKGROUND

Classical cadherin-based cellular adhesion is mediated by a multicomponent protein complex that links the adhesive binding activity of the cadherin ectodomain to the actin cytoskeleton. Despite the importance of cadherins in morphogenesis and development, we know very little about how cells determine and alter cadherin adhesive strength. In this study, we sought to identify specific cellular mechanisms that modulate cadherin function by studying adhesion between cells transfected with Xenopus C-cadherin mutant molecules and substrata coated with the purified ectodomain of C-cadherin.

RESULTS

Using the FKBP-FK1012 protein oligomerization system, we found that forced clustering, in cells, of cadherin mutants lacking the cytoplasmic tail significantly increased cellular adhesive strength. Therefore, redistribution of the adhesive binding sites of cells into clusters can influence adhesion independently of other protein interactions mediated by the cadherin cytoplasmic tail. Furthermore, cells transfected with full-length C-cadherin demonstrated dynamic changes in adhesion over time that correlated with clustering but not with changes in the surface expression of C-cadherin or in the composition of the cadherin-catenin complex. The cytoplasmic tail was, however, necessary for clustering of wild-type cadherin.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies directly demonstrate a fundamental role for lateral clustering in cadherin function. The distribution of cadherin binding sites presented at the cell surface, a cellular property which is regulated by the cadherin cytoplasmic tail, is an important mechanism which modulates cellular adhesion independently of cytoskeletal activity or signalling.

Lateral dimerization is required for the homophilic binding activity of C-cadherin

Regulation of cadherin-mediated adhesion can occur rapidly at the cell surface. To understand the mechanism underlying cadherin regulation, it is essential to elucidate the homophilic binding mechanism that underlies all cadherin-mediated functions. Therefore, we have investigated the structural and functional properties of the extracellular segment of Xenopus C-cadherin using a purified, recombinant protein (CEC 1-5). CEC 1-5 supported adhesion of CHO cells expressing C-cadherin. The extracellular segment was also capable of mediating aggregation of microspheres. Chemical cross-linking and gel filtration revealed that CEC 1-5 formed dimers in the presence as well as absence of calcium. Analysis of the functional activity of purified dimers and monomers demonstrated that dimers retained substantially greater homophilic binding activity than monomers. These results demonstrate that lateral dimerization is necessary for homophilic binding between cadherin extracellular segments and suggest multiple potential mechanisms for the regulation of cadherin activity. Since the extracellular segment alone possessed significant homophilic binding activity, the adhesive activity of the extracellular segment in a cellular context was analyzed. The adhesion of CHO cells expressing a truncated version of C-cadherin lacking the cytoplasmic tail was compared to cells expressing the wild-type C-cadherin using a laminar flow assay on substrates coated with CEC 1-5. CHO cells expressing the truncated C-cadherin were able to attach to CEC 1-5 and to resist detachment by low shear forces, demonstrating that tailless C-cadherin can mediate basic, weak adhesion of CHO cells. However, cells expressing the truncated C-cadherin did not exhibit the complete adhesive activity of cells expressing wild-type C-cadherin. Cells expressing wild-type C-cadherin remained attached to CEC 1-5 at high shear forces, while cells expressing the tailless C-cadherin did not adhere well at high shear forces. These results suggest that there may be two states of cadherin-mediated adhesion. The first, relatively weak state can be mediated through interactions between the extracellular segments alone. The second strong adhesive state is critically dependent on the cytoplasmic tail.

Cadherin-mediated adhesion and apical membrane assembly define distinct steps during thyroid epithelial polarization and lumen formation

The biogenesis of follicles from aggregates of precursor cells is an important morphogenetic process in thyroid embryology. It necessitates the creation of a polarized cell phenotype, assembly of specialized cell-cell junctions, and generation of follicular lumena. In this study we sought to investigate the relationship between cell polarization and lumen formation by studying the cell surface events that occurred when freshly isolated adult porcine thyroid cells reorganized to form follicles in primary culture. Follicular reorganization entailed the initial formation of solid three-dimensional cell aggregates and the subsequent appearance of lumena within aggregates. During the initial stage of cell aggregation, the adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, became expressed at all surfaces involved in cell-cell contact. Aggregation was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies that block cadherin function, indicating directly that E-cadherin is a dominant initial cell-cell adhesion molecule. Cell aggregation was also associated with the recruitment to the cell surface of ZO-1, a tight junction-associated protein, and Na+/K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase. These proteins were initially found throughout regions of cell-cell contact and only subsequently redistributed to their mature locations in tight junctions and the basolateral cell surface, respectively. In contrast, components associated with the apical membrane were first detected within large intracellular vacuoles, which subsequently fused with the cell surface between maturing tight junctions to yield the apical membrane domain and nascent follicular lumena. Follicle formation occurred independently of basal lamina assembly and TSH, although maintenance of follicular architecture required the presence of this hormone. These findings indicate that cultured follicles form in two distinct stages: 1) initial aggregation mediated by E-cadherin and associated with recruitment of components of both tight junctions and the basolateral membrane domain, and 2) subsequent formation of a specialized apical membrane domain by coordinated fusion of intracellular vacuoles at sites of the cell surface where tight junctions are maturing. We propose that follicular morphogenesis may arise as a consequence of epithelial cell polarization within coherent three-dimensional cell aggregates.

Microtubule integrity is necessary for the epithelial barrier function of cultured thyroid cell monolayers

Vectorial transport in the thyroid epithelium requires an efficient barrier against passive paracellular flux, a role which is principally performed by the tight junction (zonula occludens). There is increasing evidence that tight junction integrity is determined by integral and peripheral membrane proteins which interact with the cell cytoskeleton. Although the contribution of the actin cytoskeleton to tight junction physiology has been intensively studied, less is known about possible interactions with microtubules. In the present study we used electrophysiological and immunohistochemical approaches to investigate the contribution of microtubules to the paracellular barrier in cultured thyroid cell monolayers which displayed a high transepithelial electrical resistance (6000-9000 ohm.cm2). Colchicine (1 microM) caused a progressive fall in electrical resistance to < 10% of baseline after 6 h and depolarization of the transepithelial electrical potential difference consistent with a significant increase in paracellular permeability. The effect of colchicine on TER was not affected by agents which inhibit the major apical conductances of thyroid cells but was reversed upon removal of the drug. Immunofluorescent staining for tubulin combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that thyroid cells possessed a dense microtubule network extending throughout the cytoplasm which was destroyed by colchicine. Colchicine also produced changes in the localization of the tight junction-associated protein, ZO-1: its normally continuous junctional distribution was disrupted by striking discontinuities and the appearance of many fine strands which extended into the cytoplasm. A similar disruption in E-cadherin staining was also observed, but colchicine did not affect the distribution of vinculin associated with adherens junctions nor the integrity of the perijunctional actin ring. We conclude that microtubules are necessary for the functional and structural integrity of tight junctions in this electrically tight, transporting epithelium.

Vinculin localization and actin stress fibers differ in thyroid cells organized as monolayers or follicles

In epithelial cells interactions between the actin cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctions regulate paracellular permeability and participate in morphogenesis. We have studied the relationship between supracellular morphology and actin-junction interactions using primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells grown either as three-dimensional follicles or as open monolayers. Regardless of morphology, thyroid cells assembled occluding and adhesive junctions containing ZO-1 and E-cadherin, respectively, and showed F-actin staining in apical microvilli and a perijunctional ring. In monolayers, actin stress fibers were also observed in the apical and basal poles of cells, where they terminated in the vinculin-rich zonula adherens and in cell-substrate focal adhesions, respectively. Surprisingly, we were unable to detect vinculin localization in follicular cells, which also did not form stress fibers. Immunoblotting confirmed significantly greater vinculin in triton-insoluble fractions from monolayer cells compared with follicular cells. Incubation of monolayers with 8 chloro(phenylthio)-cyclic AMP decreased the level of immunodetectable vinculin in the zonula adherens, indicating that junctional incorporation of vinculin was regulated by cyclic AMP. In monolayer cultures, cytochalasin D (1 microM) cause actin filaments to aggregate associated with retraction of cells from one another and the disruption of cell junctions. Despite morphologically similar perturbations of actin organization in follicular cultures treated with cytochalasin D, junctional staining of ZO-1 and E-cadherin was preserved and cells remained adherent to one another. We conclude that in cultured thyroid cells structural and functional associations between actin filaments and cellular junctions differ depending upon the supracellular morphology in which cells are grown. One important underlying mechanism appears to be regulation of vinculin incorporation into adhesive junctions by cyclic AMP.

Characterization of cell polarity and epithelial junctions in the choriocarcinoma cell line, JAR

In the placenta the trophoblast cell layer separates maternal and fetal circulations and is involved in the active transport of selected substances across this barrier. We have used the JAR choriocarcinoma cell line to study aspects of trophoblast membrane transport. To determine whether JAR cells could be used in studies of vectorial transepithelial transport it was necessary to determine whether these cells were polarized and assembled tight junctions. In the present study we investigated JAR cells using a range of markers for specific cell surface domains combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Freshly isolated cells initially formed a confluent epithelial monolayer with recruitment of a tight junction-associated protein, ZO-1, and a cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, to the surface at sites of cell-cell contact. They did not, however, display cell surface polarization, as NaK-ATPase was not segregated in the basolateral domain, and a differentiated apical cell surface was not assembled. The monolayer stage was also unstable, as continued proliferation resulted in the formation of multilayered aggregates where ZO-1 and E-cadherin were lost from the cell surface. These results suggest that the JAR cell line is unlikely to be a suitable model for studies of transepithelial transport in the placenta.

Thyrotropin inhibits the intrinsic locomotility of thyroid cells organized as follicles in primary culture

The regulation of cell locomotion is a fundamental determinant of tissue architecture. Even in solid tissues of adult organisms cells often retain an intrinsic locomotor capacity which is activated during wound healing or tumor metastasis. In this study we have examined the role of cell locomotion in an in vitro model of thyroid epithelial pattern generation. Primary cultures of adult porcine thyroid cells reorganize to form follicles within three-dimensional cell aggregates when stimulated by thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH). Removal of TSH from the culture medium caused established follicles to reorganize into a confluent, two-dimensional epithelioid monolayer. The earliest observed change was the appearance of spreading cells at the peripheries of aggregates. These cells displayed broad lamellipodia whose formation was associated with the redistribution of microfilaments and microtubules and the accumulation of myosin. Spreading cells could migrate into, and fill, artificial wounds several millimeters wide without evidence of cell proliferation, indicating that cells became locomotile as they spread from follicles to form monolayer. Both spreading and migration were inhibited by cytochalasin B. In contrast, cells spread in the presence of colchine, but failed to migrate subsequently. Thyroid cell locomotility from follicles was inhibited by TSH, a cAMP analog, and a cell-free membrane fraction. However, migration from established monolayer cultures was not affected by these regulatory agents. This indicated that cell spreading was an important regulatory locus in thyroid cell patterning. We conclude that the tonic inhibition of thyroid cell locomotility contributes to the maintenance of follicular architecture in vitro. TSH and cell-cell contact may inhibit locomotion by preventing follicular cells from spreading, the earliest step in the morphogenetic conversion of follicles to monolayer.

Thyroid epithelial morphogenesis in vitro: a role for bumetanide-sensitive Cl- secretion during follicular lumen development

The structural and functional unit of the thyroid gland is the follicle, consisting of a closed lumen surrounded by a single layer of polarized epithelial cells. In this paper we have attempted to characterize the process of lumenal development when primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells reorganized to form follicles. Cells incubated with the loop diuretic, bumetanide, an inhibitor of NaK2Cl cotransport, aggregated but failed to form normal follicles. Laser scanning confocal microscopy combined with immunohistochemical markers of thyroid cell-surface proteins demonstrated that in the presence of bumetanide cells polarized and assembled ZO-1-containing tight junctions separating their apical and basolateral membrane domains. Cultures formed small lumena but their subsequent growth was inhibited by bumetanide. Electrophysiological studies confirmed that bumetanide-sensitive Cl- transport was the major contributor to the transepithelial electrical potential difference across the follicular wall after 48 h incubation. Other potential mechanisms did not contribute significantly to follicular lumenal growth. In particular, bumetanide did not affect cell proliferation and, in contrast to tissue follicles, thyroglobulin could not be detected within the lumena of cultured follicles. We conclude that thyroid follicular reorganization involves two distinct and separate phases of lumenal development: initial lumen formation which probably reflects the assembly of a specialized apical membrane domain; and subsequent lumenal growth which is mediated by the inward transport of Cl- by polarized epithelial cells.

Thyroid cell spreading and focal adhesion formation depend upon protein tyrosine phosphorylation and actin microfilaments

Adhesion to proteins of the extracellular matrix exerts a profound influence upon cell function and behavior. Similar adhesive interactions mediate the spreading of cultured cells upon artificial substrata. Recently we observed that thyrotropin (TSH) and intercellular contact regulated thyroid cell-substrate adhesion to inhibit cell spreading, but not initial attachment. This is a mechanism which preserves thyroid follicular differentiation in culture. In the present study we have investigated the role of cytoplasmic components in mediating thyroid cell adhesion to collagen. The earliest change associated with cell spreading was the accumulation of vinculin and phosphotyrosine in developing focal adhesions, which was followed by stress fiber and microtubule assembly. Genistein, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, and cytochalasin B inhibited cell spreading and focal adhesion formation without affecting initial attachment to substrate. In contrast microtubule disorganization by colchicine did not alter any parameter of thyroid cell-substrate adhesion. These observations indicate that protein tyrosine phosphorylation and dynamic microfilament integrity are essential for attached thyroid cells to spread upon substrate. They are therefore potential intracellular loci at which TSH and intercellular contact may regulate cell adhesion to extracellular matrix and influence thyroid cell behavior.

Contact inhibition of cell spreading: a mechanism for the maintenance of thyroid cell aggregation in vitro

When freshly isolated porcine thyroid cells are stimulated with thyrotropin (TSH) they organize to form functional follicles in conventional substrate-adherent culture. Cell aggregation is essential for follicular reorganization and is likely to be influenced by the balance between cell-cell adhesion (promoting aggregation) and cell-substrate adhesion (favoring spreading and monolayer formation). Recently we observed that TSH potentiated cell-cell adhesion and in the present study we have sought evidence that TSH might also regulate cell-substrate adhesion. Two parameters of cell-substrate adhesion, namely, cell attachment to collagen and cell spreading upon collagen, were measured using preparations of isolated single cells and of multicellular aggregates. TSH had no effect upon the attachment or spreading of single cells, but inhibited aggregate spreading without affecting aggregate attachment. The possibility that cell-cell contact modulated the response to TSH in aggregates, but not in single cells, was confirmed using a cell-free membrane preparation which inhibited the spreading of single cells but not their rate of attachment. Moreover, TSH potentiated the inhibitory effect of membranes on the spreading of single cells. Heparin also specifically inhibited the spreading of both single cells and cell aggregates, suggesting that a heparin-sensitive adhesive mechanism might be recruited as thyroid cells spread. We conclude that thyroid cell-substrate adhesion is regulated by a synergistic interaction between cell-cell contact and TSH which preferentially inhibited cell spreading but not attachment. Such contact-dependent inhibition of cell spreading is predicted to preserve cell aggregates and hence contribute to the maintenance of thyroid follicular differentiation in vitro.

Activation of sodium transport mediates regulation of thyroid follicle volume in response to hypotonic media

The thyroid epithelium possesses a bidirectional fluid transport system capable of absorbing Na+ and secreting Cl-. In the present studies we have examined its possible role in the regulation of thyroid follicular size. When exposed to hypotonic media (200 mosM) cultured porcine thyroid follicles first swelled and then displayed a regulatory volume decrease (RVD) over 60 min. This was associated with a transient depolarization of the transepithelial potential difference (TEP) and subsequent hyperpolarization with a time course similar to RVD. Phenamil (1 microM), an antagonist of epithelial Na+ channels, did not affect initial swelling but prevented the subsequent follicular RVD. Phenamil abolished hyperpolarization of TEP, but the loop diuretic bumetanide, which inhibits Cl- secretion in thyroid cells, did not prevent it. Exposure to hypotonic medium produced a slow hyperpolarization of the intracellular potential (basolateral membrane potential) consistent with an increase in basolateral membrane K+ conductance. Ba2+ and quinidine, which are known to inhibit K+ channels in epithelia, prevented RVD. Addition of the K+ ionophore valinomycin (1 microM) caused follicle shrinkage that was prevented by phenamil (1 microM). We conclude that cultured follicles respond to hypotonically induced stretch by activating outwardly directed Na+ transport through a mechanism which involves change in the basolateral K+ conductance. This response would be characteristic of a system that controlled follicle volume. However, it is not clear from these studies whether the cells responded primarily to the increase in follicle volume or to the change in cell volume that is expected to accompany hypotonic challenge.

Blunted parathyroid response to correction of hypercalcemia in subjects with squamous cell carcinoma

In malignancy-associated hypercalcemia (MAH) elevated plasma calcium levels are believed to inhibit parathyroid secretion independently of the underlying tumor. This predicts that correction of hypercalcemia should disinhibit circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, irrespective of the underlying disease. We have tested this hypothesis in subjects with multiple myeloma (MM) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with pamidronate. In the MM group, PTH levels returned to normal as hypercalcemia was corrected. In contrast, PTH levels remained low in the SCC group despite a similar fall in plasma calcium. Calcitriol levels were significantly higher and magnesium levels slightly lower in the SCC group than those in the MM group. We conclude that the parathyroid response to the correction of hypercalcemia is blunted in subjects with SCC but not MM. In addition to hypercalcemia, other factors, perhaps related to tumor secretion of PTH-related protein, may therefore contribute to suppressing PTH secretion in MAH due to SCC.

Differential regulation of thyroid cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion by thyrotropin

Preservation of cell aggregation is necessary for thyroid follicular differentiation in vitro and requires stimulation by thyrotropin (TSH). We have tested the hypothesis that TSH preferentially increases thyroid cell-cell adhesion relative to cell-substrate adhesion. Cell-cell adhesion was measured in short-term suspension cultures by the decrease in the fraction of single cells remaining in culture (free cell ratio, FCR). When incubated in medium alone freshly isolated cells showed a progressive fall in FCR but this was accelerated by TSH and the cyclic AMP analog, 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)cyclic AMP. Aggregation was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ and also promoted by a cell-free membrane extract. In contrast, attachment of cells to plastic dishes treated for tissue culture was not affected by TSH. We conclude that thyroid cells possess a TSH-sensitive cell adhesion system. The preferential increase in cell-cell adhesion may be one mechanism by which TSH stimulates the formation and preservation of follicles in vitro.

Regulation of thyroid follicular volume by bidirectional transepithelial ion transport

Previous studies have shown that thyroid cells in monolayer culture exhibit bidirectional ion transport comprising apical-to-basal amiloride-sensitive Na+ transport and oppositely directed bumetanide-sensitive Cl- transport. We have now investigated the role of ion transport in the regulation of thyroid follicular size using follicular primary porcine thyroid cell cultures. Bumetanide (10 microM) added at the beginning of culture inhibited the formation of follicular lumina and caused a fall in follicle height when added to 3-day-old cultures. In contrast, phenamil (1 microM; an amiloride analog) increased follicle size both in freshly isolated and 3-day-old cultures. The effect of bumetanide was prevented by the prior addition of phenamil. Micropuncture studies showed that follicles had a lumen-negative, basal-positive transepithelial potential difference which was progressively reduced in magnitude by the serial addition of bumetanide (10 microM) and phenamil (1 microM). We conclude that thyroid follicles possess a bidirectional ion transport system which transports Na+ in an apical-to-basal direction and Cl- in the opposite direction. The balance between these two processes determines net solute flux and hence follicular size. A physiological role of ion transport in the thyroid may be to regulate follicular volume suggesting that abnormalities of ion transport may be responsible for disorders of follicular size.

Selective liquid chromatographic assay for propylthiouracil in plasma

A liquid chromatographic assay was developed to quantitate propylthiouracil in plasma using an internal standard, 5-propyl-2-thiouracil, of similar structure and physical properties. Caffeine, which coelutes with propylthiouracil, was removed by extraction from serum treated with base. No other compounds were found to interfere in the assay. The drug was extracted from plasma with chloroform with a recovery of 59.4% and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 5.7 and 3.3%, respectively. The assay was linear to 3 micrograms/ml with a lower detection limit of 40 ng/ml for a sample volume of 1 ml.

Single-dose intravenous pamidronate is effective alternative therapy for Paget's disease refractory to calcitonin

We have conducted an open, prospective study to investigate the efficacy of a single 60 mg infusion of pamidronate as alternative therapy in 15 subjects with severe Paget's bone disease refractory to calcitonin. Disease activity was assessed with a visual-analogue score of symptom severity, plasma alkaline phosphatase and quantitative estimation of 99mTc-methylene biphosphonate uptake on bone scan. All indices of disease activity fell after pamidronate, reaching a nadir at 3 months. Although disease activity increased thereafter, only 3 subjects required retreatment within 12 months. Plasma calcium fell after 3 days and remained below baseline levels for 6 months associated with evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Pamidronate was well tolerated; femoral neck fractures occurred in 2 subjects with severe local Paget's disease but were unlikely to be due to the drug. We conclude that pamidronate is an effective and promising alternative for treatment of patients with severe Paget's disease no longer adequately controlled by calcitonin. Calcium supplementation may be prudent to prevent secondary hyperparathyroidism associated with the use of this agent.

Use of aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (AHPrBP, "APD") for the treatment of hypercalcemia in patients with renal impairment

Aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (AHPrBP, "APD") is a relatively new bisphosphonate which has been shown to be effective for control of hypercalcemia due to a variety of causes. Renal impairment has been reported following the use of other bisphosphonates and pre-existing renal impairment has been regarded as a contraindication to the use of AHPrBP. We report the successful use of intravenous AHPrBP to control hypercalcemia in three patients with renal impairment, one of whom was dialysis-dependent. No significant side effects were noted; in particular, there was no further deterioration in renal function. Intravenous AHPrBP may be a safe and effective agent for the control of hypercalcemia in patients with renal impairment.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2b: long-term follow-up of a case

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2b is a rare inherited syndrome which comprises the association of medullary thyroid carcinoma, phaeochromocytoma, widespread neuromatous proliferation and a characteristic body habitus. In this report we present the late clinical course and autopsy findings of the first patient with this syndrome described in Australia. At presentation she was found to have a right adrenal phaeochromocytoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma which were resected in separate operations. No clinical or biochemical evidence of residual medullary thyroid carcinoma was identified in life. However, in spite of serial vanillylmandelic acid estimations, which showed normal or only mildly elevated levels, and normal results of urinary catecholamine studies, a left adrenal phaeochromocytoma was identified in a metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) study performed 14 years after presentation. Her late clinical course was dominated by progressive dysphagia, intestinal dysmotility and megacolon associated with unrelenting malnutrition. After her death due to an intracerebral haemorrhage, an autopsy confirmed the presence of a left adrenal phaeochromocytoma and revealed diffuse intestinal ganglioneuromatosis to be the cause of her intestinal dysmotility. No residual medullary thyroid carcinoma was found. This case emphasises the propensity for multiple endocrine tumours in these patients and highlights the potentially significant role of intestinal ganglioneuromatosis in the natural history of this condition.

Acromegaly first diagnosed in pregnancy: the role of bromocriptine therapy

We report a case of acromegaly diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy. Bromocriptine (7.5 mg per day) corrected visual field defects and suppressed prolactin secretion but did not reduce fasting growth hormone levels. We propose that suppression of physiologic lactotroph hyperplasia by bromocriptine may permit noninvasive management of pituitary adenomas during pregnancy.

Role of cell-cell contact in the preservation of differentiation and response to thyrotrophin in cultured porcine thyroid cells

Cultured porcine thyroid cells did not reassociate into functional follicles in the presence of TSH unless the initial seeding density was adequate. At 0.2 X 10(6) cells/35 mm diameter culture dish the cells rapidly formed a monolayer even in the presence of TSH (128 microunits./ml), and radioiodide uptake was not significantly increased compared with that in control cells. Seeding densities of 1-3 X 10(6) cells/dish resulted in cultures which responded to TSH with follicular development and increased radioiodide uptake. A cell-free membrane fraction of thyroid homogenate restored the ability of cultures seeded at low densities to respond to TSH with development of follicular morphology and increased radioiodide uptake. Delaying the addition of TSH by 48 h markedly reduced the stimulation of follicular development and radioiodide uptake of cultures. Addition of membrane fractions, or an alkali-soluble fraction of membranes, at zero time improved the responses to TSH added after a 48-h delay. It was concluded that maintenance of differentiation and of TSH-responsiveness in cultured thyroid cells was influenced by cell-cell contact.

Microbiological evaluation of South Australian rock lobster meat

Samples of frozen precooked rock lobster meat from five South Australian fish-processing plants situated in the West Coast and south-east regions were tested over a period of six months during the 1974/5 lobster fishing season. The most probable number (MPN) of E. coli and coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, as well as total plate count (TPC) were determined in 480 samples. Monthly geometric mean TPC ranged from 1600/g to 25,000/g. The highest geometric mean of the MPN of coliforms and E. coli were 4.9/g and 1.8/g respectively. The highest geometric mean number of staphylococci was 18.6/g. Salmonella was not detected in the 480 units tested. Only 0.4% of the samples had TPC exceeding 100,000/g. Coliforms and E. coli were not present in 76.1% and 92.7% respectively of the samples tested. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in 67.7% of the samples. The numbers of organisms in 82% of the samples fall within the microbiological standards proposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia for frozen precooked foods. The results of this study demonstrate the microbial quality of precooked lobster meat attainable when good manufacturing practices are used.