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ERα, but not ERβ and GPER, Mediates Estradiol-Induced Secretion of TSH in Mouse Pituitary

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Abstract

Although estradiol (E2) plays a critical role in the promotion of pituitary development and in the regulation of various pituitary hormones, its effects on the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) remain unaddressed. The actions of E2 are mediated by two classical nuclear estrogen receptors α (ERα) and β (ERβ) and the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). However, the types of estrogen receptor involvement in the regulation of thyrotropes are still limited. In this study, we demonstrate that ERα, but not ERβ and GPER, is localized to thyrotropes in the pituitary of female mouse. In agreement with the presence of ERα in thyrotropes, E2 was shown to stimulate TSH release in vitro from primary culture of female mouse pituitary cells. PPT, a ERα-selective agonist, but not DPN (a ERβ-selective agonist) and G-1 (a GPER-selective agonist), was shown to stimulate TSH release in mouse pituitary cells. This effect could be prevented by the specific ER antagonist fulvestrant and the selective ERα antagonist MPP. The findings of this study suggest that E2 may bind to ERα to trigger TSH release and provide novel information on the differential regulation of multiple estrogen receptors in the pituitary.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are presented in the manuscript and are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was funded by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (no. 2019M663101), the Shenzhen San-Ming Project (no. SZSM201612010), and the Shenzhen High-level Hospital Construction Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, China

    Yu Xiao

  2. Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, 518000, Shenzhen, China

    Dong Chen

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  1. Yu Xiao
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  2. Dong Chen
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YX and DC conceived and designed the research, performed the experiments, analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Dong Chen.

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The study was conducted according to the recommended guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals for research and teaching at Shenzhen University.

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Xiao, Y., Chen, D. ERα, but not ERβ and GPER, Mediates Estradiol-Induced Secretion of TSH in Mouse Pituitary. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 194, 2492–2502 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-03823-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-03823-w

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