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Abnormal heart rate and body temperature in mice lacking thyroid hormone receptor α1
Author(s) -
Wikström Lilian,
Johansson Catarina,
Saltó Carmen,
Barlow Carrolee,
Barros Angel Campos,
Baas Frank,
Forrest Douglas,
Thorén Peter,
Vennström Björn
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/17.2.455
Subject(s) - biology , thyroid , endocrinology , thyroid hormone receptor alpha , thyroid hormone receptor , hormone , medicine , alpha (finance) , receptor , heart rate , hormone receptor , genetics , cancer , blood pressure , breast cancer , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
Thyroid hormone, acting through several nuclear hormone receptors, plays important roles in thermogenesis, lipogenesis and maturation of the neonatal brain. The receptor specificity for mediating these effects is largely unknown, and to determine this we developed mice lacking the thyroid hormone receptor TRα1. The mice have an average heart rate 20% lower than that of control animals, both under normal conditions and after thyroid hormone stimulation. Electrocardiograms show that the mice also have prolonged QRS‐ and QT end ‐durations. The mice have a body temperature 0.5°C lower than normal and exhibit a mild hypothyroidism, whereas their overall behavior and reproduction are normal. The results identify specific and important roles for TRα1 in regulation of tightly controlled physiological functions, such as cardiac pacemaking, ventricular repolarisation and control of body temperature.