The TRbeta-selective agonist, GC-1, stimulates mitochondrial oxidative processes to a lesser extent than triiodothyronine

J Endocrinol. 2010 Jun;205(3):279-89. Epub 2010 Apr 1. The TRbeta-selective agonist, GC-1, stimulates mitochondrial oxidative processes to a lesser extent than triiodothyronine. Venditti P, Chiellini G, Di Stefano L, Napolitano G, Zucchi R, Columbano A, Scanlan TS, Di Meo S. SourceDipartimento delle Scienze Biologiche, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 8, I-80134 Napoli, Italy. venditti@unina.it Abstract Specific tissue responses to thyroid hormone are mediated by the hormone binding to two subtypes of nuclear receptors, TRalpha and TRbeta. We investigated the relationship between TRbeta activation and liver oxidative metabolism in hypothyroid rats treated with equimolar doses of triiodothyronine (T(3)) and GC-1, a TRbeta agonist. T(3) treatment produces increases in O(2) consumption and H(2)O(2) production higher than those elicited by GC-1. The greater effects of T(3) on oxidative processes are linked to the higher hormonal stimulation of the content of respiratory chain components including autoxidizable electron carriers as demonstrated by the measurement of activities of respiratory complexes and H(2)O(2) generation in the presence of respiratory inhibitors. It is conceivable that these differential effects are dependent on the inability of GC-1 to stimulate TRalpha receptors that are likely involved in the expression of some components of the respiratory chain. The greater increases in reactive oxygen species production and susceptibility to oxidants exhibited by mitochondria from T(3)-treated rats are consistent with their higher lipid and protein oxidative damage and lower resistance to Ca(2)(+) load. The T(3) and GC-1 effects on the expression levels of nuclear respiratory factor-1 and -2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha suggest the involvement of respiratory factors in the agonist-linked changes in mitochondrial respiratory capacities and H(2)O(2) production. PMID:20360308[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]