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Rapid actions of T3 on TSH synthesis in posttranscriptional steps, such as polyadenylation and translation rate, have already been described. The focus of this paper was to characterize rapid actions of T3 on TSH secretion and the involvement of actin and microtubule cytoskeleton in this process. For that, sham-operated (SO) and thyroidectomized (Tx) rats were subjected to acute or chronic treatment with T3. We observed a disarrangement in microtubule and actin cytoskeletons and an increase in Tshb mRNA levels in Tx rats, whereas the total TSH protein content was reduced in the pituitary gland as a whole, but increased in the secretory granules close to the plasma membrane of thyrotrophs, as well as in the extracellular space. The acute T3 dose promoted a rapid increase and redistribution of TSH secretory granules throughout the cytoplasm, as well as a rearrangement in actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. The T3 chronic treatment outcome reinforces the acute effects observed and, additionally, evinces an increase in the α-tubulin content and a rearrangement in microtubule cytoskeleton. Thus, T3 is able to rapidly suppress TSH secretion and, in parallel, to promote a rearrangement in actin and microtubules assembly throughout the pituitary gland, effects that seem to be independent from each other.

Thyroid hormones (THs) classically regulate the gene expression by transcriptional mechanisms. In pituitary, the encoding genes for growth hormone (GH) and thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) are examples of genes regulated by triiodothyronine (T3) in a positive and negative way, respectively. Recent studies have shown a rapid adjustment of GH and TSH synthesis/secretion induced by T3 posttranscriptional actions. In somatotrophs, T3 promotes an increase in Gh mRNA content, poly(A) tail length and binding to the ribosome, associated with a rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton. In thyrotrophs, T3 reduces Tshb mRNA content, poly(A) tail length and its association with the ribosome. In parallel, it promotes a redistribution of TSH secretory granules to more distal regions of the cell periphery, indicating a rapid effect of T3 inhibition of TSH secretion. T3 was shown to affect the content of tubulin and the polymerization of actin and tubulin cytoskeletons in the whole anterior pituitary gland, and to increase intracellular alpha (CGA) content. This review summarizes genomic and nongenomic/ posttranscriptional actions of TH on the regulation of several steps of GH and TSH synthesis and secretion. These distinct mechanisms induced by T3 can occur simultaneously, even though non-genomic effects are promptly elicited and precede the genomic actions, coexisting in a functional network within the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]