Rapid responses to reverse T₃ hormone in immature rat Sertoli cells: calcium uptake and exocytosis mediated by integrin

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 10;8(10):e77176. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077176. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

There is increasing experimental evidence of the nongenomic action of thyroid hormones mediated by receptors located in the plasma membrane or inside cells. The aim of this work was to characterize the reverse T₃ (rT₃) action on calcium uptake and its involvement in immature rat Sertoli cell secretion. The results presented herein show that very low concentrations of rT₃ are able to increase calcium uptake after 1 min of exposure. The implication of T-type voltage-dependent calcium channels and chloride channels in the effect of rT₃ was evidenced using flunarizine and 9-anthracene, respectively. Also, the rT₃-induced calcium uptake was blocked in the presence of the RGD peptide (an inhibitor of integrin-ligand interactions). Therefore, our findings suggest that calcium uptake stimulated by rT₃ may be mediated by integrin αvβ₃. In addition, it was demonstrated that calcium uptake stimulated by rT₃ is PKC and ERK-dependent. Furthermore, the outcomes indicate that rT₃ also stimulates cellular secretion since the cells manifested a loss of fluorescence after 4 min incubation, indicating an exocytic quinacrine release that seems to be mediated by the integrin receptor. These findings indicate that rT₃ modulates the calcium entry and cellular secretion, which might play a role in the regulation of a plethora of intracellular processes involved in male reproductive physiology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / drug effects
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Chloride Channels / metabolism
  • Exocytosis / drug effects*
  • Integrins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sertoli Cells / cytology*
  • Sertoli Cells / drug effects
  • Sertoli Cells / metabolism*
  • Time Factors
  • Triiodothyronine, Reverse / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Chloride Channels
  • Integrins
  • Tpt1 protein, rat
  • Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1
  • Triiodothyronine, Reverse
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from: MCT and CNPq (nº 471594/2010-5)- www.cnpq.br, CAPES/COFECUB nº 554/07 - www.capes.gov.br, FAPESC-SC (nº FCTP1518/000) - www.fapesc.sc.gov.br and CAPES/PPG-Pharmacy - www.pgfar.ufsc.br. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.