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Transcriptional & Translational Effects of Developmental Ethanol on Thyroid Function of Zebrafish
Author(s) -
Holderman Alayna Jean,
Lawrence Robert Charles
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.613.2
Subject(s) - thyroid , medicine , endocrinology , hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis , hormone , thyroid function , triiodothyronine , anterior pituitary , homeostasis , thyroid stimulating hormone , zebrafish , congenital hypothyroidism , biology , gene , biochemistry
Hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid (HPT) axis is critical for fetal growth and development especially within the central nervous system. Disruption of neonatal thyroid function such as congenital hypothyroidism may lead to cognitive and physical disorders if untreated. Further, developmental exposure to alcohol results in a host of neurological disorders including hypothyroidism. Importantly, prenatal thyroid hormone intervention to alleviate some of the symptoms of FASD suggesting thyroid disruption mediates some characteristics of FASD. However, the exact molecular change of fetal alcohol exposure on the thyroid system has not been identified. During embryological development, FASD are known to change the genomic expression at the molecular level potentially resulting in neurological dysfunction. Thyrotropin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is produced in the anterior pituitary of the thyroid system axis is responsible for the release of hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The thyroid hormones have a homeostatic function on all the tissue systems of the organism and when imbalanced, disorders of the thyroid occur. Preliminary research measured the difference in TSH levels in the blood serum of Long Evans rat pups to determine the effect of ethanol on thyroid function. The difference in TSH levels between the ethanol treatment (ET) and intubation (stress) control (IC) groups was statistically different therefore the ethanol may have had a hypothyroid‐like effect on the thyroid system. Elevated levels of TSH in the ET may be related to an epigenetic change in the TSHβ gene in the thyrotrope cells of the anterior pituitary. This hypothesized change will be tested using a TSHβ:GFP zebrafish strain for functionality of TSHβ protein production. Transcriptional testing through q‐RT‐PCR of thyroid hormones (TH) will be performed to identify other locations in the HPT axis. Potential THs including tshβ, thyroid peroxidase (tpo), transthyretin (ttr), thyroid hormone receptor (tr), and thyroglobulin (tg) were identified through the research of Yu, Liqin, et al in 2010. Support or Funding Information All funding was provided by the Viterbo University Undergraduate Research Fellowship and Biology Department.A significant difference was observed between the mean TSH concentrations of the ET and IC groups (*) and between the IC and NC groups (**). Two‐tailed t‐test (p<0.05).