Thyroid cells from euthyroid patients with Graves' disease were cultured in a chemically
defined medium. The cells preserved the ability to respond to TSH with 8-fold increase
in cyclic AMP concentration. This cyclic AMP response to TSH was diminished by prior
exposure of cells to TSH. The decrease in cyclic AMP response to TSH induced by TSH
was reversible, was not associated with a similar decrease in cyclic AMP response
to PGE1, and could not be attributed to increased phosphodiesterase activity or to decreased
adenyl cyclase activity. The partial resistence to TSH stimulation of thyroid cells
previously exposed to TSH may be due to changes in the TSH receptor, possibly caused
by TSH itself.
Thyroid Cells - Cell Culture - cAMP - TSH - PGE1
