Evidence for a TSH-controlled ectophosphotyrosine phosphatase in pig thyroid cultured cells.

In porcine thyroid cells in primary culture, thyrotropin (TSH) provokes important morphological changes associated with specific thyroidal function recovery. TSH influences cell-cell interactions and follicular morphogenesis. In the present report, we identify an ectotyrosine phosphatase activity controlled by chronic treatment with TSH.

Flavonoids extracted from fonio millet (Digitaria exilis) reveal potent antithyroid properties.

Digitaria exilis (fonio) is a tiny variety of millet commonly eaten by inhabitants of semiarid regions. A sample of fonio collected right in the middle of a severely iodine-depleted goitrous endemic was submitted to phytochemical investigations in order to assess the potential contributory roles played by vegetable molecules to the goitrogenic processes. The total content of flavonoids amounts to 500 mg/kg of the edible whole cereal grains.

Effects of sodium saccharin diet on fat-cell lipolysis: evidence for increased function of the adenylyl cyclase catalyst.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a 14 days' sodium saccharin (NaS) diet on lipolysis and cyclic-AMP accumulation in isolated rat white epididymal adipocytes.

Animals: Male Wistar rats (3 weeks old) were fed, for 14-days, ad libitum with a regular diet supplemented with or without 1-5% NaS dissolved in drinking water.

Measurements: Lipolysis and cAMP accumulation were assessed on isolated adipocytes.

Partial characterization of a glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) in porcine thyroid cultured cells.

The aim of this study was to provide information on the structure of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) and to characterize this novel phospholipid isolated from pig thyroid. We investigated the incorporation of different radioactive precursors: [3H]glucosamine, [3H]inositol, [3H]oleic acid, [32P]orthophosphate and demonstrated the presence of these moieties in the structure of GPI. After labelling and hydrochloric acid hydrolysis, the major part of radioactivity comigrated with glucosamine used as marker.

[Lipoprotein (a). An additional marker of atherosclerosis].

Lipoprotein Lp(a) is a plasma lipoprotein which possesses many similarities to low density lipoprotein (LDL) in its physical and chemical properties. The major protein constituent of both lipoproteins is apolipoprotein B100 (apo B100); however, Lp(a) is unique in that it contains an additional distinct antigen, the (a)-antigen, attached to apo B100 by one or more disulphide bridges. The (a)-glycoprotein has recently been shown to have a striking amino-acid sequence homology with plasminogen; so, Lp(a) seems to be a potential bridge between the fields of atherosclerosis and thrombosis.