Effects of hypothyroidism on the distribution and fatty acyl composition of phospholipids in sarcoplasmic reticulum of fast skeletal muscle of the rat

Effect of Amiodarone on Phospholipid Content and Composition in Heart, Lung, Kidney and Skeletal Muscle: Relationship to Alteration of Thyroid Function

To investigate the effect of chronic amiodarone treatment on tissue phospholipids, a marker of amiodarone-induced toxicity, and to test the hypothesis that tissue phospholipids changes are related to amiodarone-induced effects on thyroid function, male Wistar rats were treated with amiodarone and tissue phospholipid content and fractions were assessed. Twenty-six animals were allocated to 4 groups: (i) group 1 received amiodarone, 20 mg/kg per day, for 3 weeks (n = 6); (ii) group 2 received amiodarone for 5 weeks (n = 6); (iii) group 3 received drug for 6 weeks (n = 6), and (iv) group 4 (control group) received the diluent for 6 weeks (n = 8). Total phospholipid content of lung, kidney and skeletal muscle but not heart was increased after 3 weeks of amiodarone treatment. With longer durations of treatment, the phospholipid content was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in all four organs. The proportion of phospholipids in different classes was modified by amiodarone treatment with the most consistent changes across different tissues being reductions in phosphatidylethanolamine and increases in phosphatidylserine. Serum thyroxine concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced at 5 weeks of treatment and thereafter. There was a significant correlation between serum thyroxine and total phospholipid concentration in heart (r = 0.555; p < 0.05) and lung (r = 0.502; p < 0.05). For heart, there was a significant correlation between serum thyroxine and the distribution of phospholipid classes, mainly for phosphatidylserine even after considering amiodarone dose. The same was found in the lung. In the kidney and skeletal muscle, there was a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between serum thyroxine and the proportion of phospholipids in phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. In conclusion, this study presents the novel finding of a biphasic tissue phospholipid response to amiodarone characterized by a short term increase in phospholipids in lung, kidney and skeletal muscle but not the heart followed by a long term decline in phospholipids in all four organs that is likely due to a direct action of amiodarone on phospholipid metabolism and potentially the result of amiodarone-induced reduction in thyroid function.

Cold-induced hyperthyroidism produces oxidative damage in rat tissues and increases susceptibility to oxidants

In this work, we investigated whether cold exposure-induced hyperthyroidism increases oxidative damage and susceptibility to oxidants of rat liver, heart and skeletal muscle. All tissues exhibited gradual increases in hydroperoxide and protein-bound carbonyl levels. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased in all tissues after 2 days and further increased in the muscle after 10 days of cold exposure. Liver glutathione reductase activity increased after 10 days of cold exposure, while heart and muscle activities were not modified. Vitamin E levels were not affected by cold, while coenzyme Q9 and coenzyme Q10 levels decreased in heart and muscle after 2-day cold exposure and were not further modified after 10 days. Liver coenzyme Q9 levels increased after 2 days whereas coenzyme Q10 levels increased after 10 days in the cold. The whole antioxidant capacity was lowered, while parameters positively correlated with susceptibility to oxidants were increased by cold. Lipid fatty acid composition was modified in all tissues. In particular, fatty acid unsaturation degree increased in heart and muscle. Cytochrome oxidase activity increased, suggesting an increased content of hemoproteins, which are able to generate .OH radical. This view was supported by the observation that the tissue susceptibility to H(2)O(2) treatment, which is strongly correlated to iron-ligand content, increased after cold exposure. In this frame, it is apparent that the increase in oxidative capacity, necessary for homeotherm survival in low temperature environments, has potential harmful effects, because it results in increased susceptibility to oxidative challenge.

Palmitic acid metabolism in the soleus muscle in vitro in hypo- and hyperthyroid rats

The aim of this study was to establish whether the rate of fatty acid (FA) incorporation and its utilization by the isolated soleus muscle is modified under conditions of thyroid hormone deficit or excess. The rate of palmitic acid (PA) uptake, oxidation and incorporation into intramuscular lipids with increasing PA concentration (0.5-1.5 mM) in the incubation medium were determined. In hypothyroid rats intramuscular triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis was increased, while the rate of PA oxidation to CO2 and incorporation into mono- and diacylglycerols (MG/DG) and phospholipids (PL) remained unchanged. In rats with triiodothyronine (T3) excess the rate of all processes studied was enhanced, although the percentage incorporation of PA into different classes of intramuscular lipids was fairly constant and, independently of thyroid state and FA concentration in the medium, was 56-66% for TG, 9-14% for MG/DG and 24-32% for PL. Our results thus indicate that even short-term T3 excess accelerates the rate of FA uptake and metabolism in the oxidative soleus muscle, whereas in hypothyroid rats only intramuscular TG synthesis is affected.

Effect of hypo- and hyperthyroid states on phospholipid composition in developing rat heart

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on the phospholipid composition in developing rat heart. The hypothyroid state (PTU) was induced by 0.05% 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil in drinking water given to nursing mothers from the postnatal day 2-21. The hyperthyroidism (T3) was made by daily injection of 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (10 microg/100 g body wt) to newborns in the same time period. Age matched intact littermates were taken as euthyroid controls. PTU decreased the concentration of total phospholipids (PL), choline phosphoglycerides (PC), ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (PE) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) and increased the proportion of plasmalogen component of PE (PLPE). T3 increased the concentration of PL, PC, PE, DPG and decreased PLPE in comparison with euthyroid controls. The ratio of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids (FA) in PE was decreased in PTU and increased in T3 group. The ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated FA in PC, PE and phosphatidylinositol (PI) was increased in PTU due to increase of 18:2n-6 and decrease of 22:6n-3 proportion. T3 decreased this ratio because of decline in 20:4n-6 and rise in 22:6n-3 proportion. Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism decreased the ratio of 20:4n-6/18:2n-6 in the majority of phospholipids. PTU decreased the unsaturation index in PC, PI and phosphatidylserine. It is concluded that thyroid state plays an essential role in the development of membrane phospholipid components in cardiac membranes during the early postnatal period.

Electrophysiological properties of the hyperthyroid rat heart

We have studied the effects of in vivo administration of different T3 doses to thyroidectomized rats on electrophysiological properties, measured in vitro, of papillary muscle fibers. The treatment with increasing T3 doses was associated with a significant reduction of the action potential duration up to a dose as large as 25 micrograms/100 g body weight every second day. The treatment with larger doses of T3 tended to restore the values of the action potential duration present in animals treated with physiological doses (5 micrograms/100 g body weight every second day). Action potential duration is frequency dependent. As the stimulation rate was increased from 1 to 5 Hz, this duration increased in all groups. However the difference between the rat groups remained significant. The cardiac frequency measured in unanaesthetized rats increased as the T3 doses. Furthermore the intrinsic frequency showed a similar increase, indicating a direct effect of T3 on the pacemaker cells in all thyroid states. The mechanism of this action of the thyroid hormone is not, however clear.

Thyroid hormones control lipid composition and membrane fluidity of skeletal muscle sarcolemma

Sarcolemma membrane lipid phase of skeletal muscles of hyperthyroid animals was compared to that of control (euthyroid) ones. Hyperthyroidism caused 15% decrease in cholesterol and 70% increase in the phospholipid content of the membrane. This was accompanied by the alterations in proportions between individual phospholipid classes, and was followed by changes in the composition of phospholipid fatty acids. The calculated fatty acid unsaturation index was higher for membrane lipid phase of hyperthyroid animals than of euthyroid ones. Thyroxine-induced alterations in the lipid composition of sarcolemma caused changes in the membrane fluidity and the activity of calmodulin-stimulated (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase. Measurements of the steady-state fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene indicated that the lipid phase transition of membrane vesicles occurred at 25.9 degrees C and at 28.9 degrees C for preparations isolated from hyperthyroid and euthyroid rabbits, respectively. Arrhenius plot break-point temperature for CaM-stimulated (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase activity was lower in membrane preparations isolated from hyperthyroid (26.9 degrees C) than from euthyroid ones (30.0 degrees C). Thus, the increase of the membrane fluidity presumably caused that the enzyme was characterized by the lower activation energy value. This phenomenon may be viewed as a supplementary mechanism for activation of the enzyme by thyroid hormones to previously reported elevation of the amount of (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase protein exerted by hyperthyroidism (Famulski et al. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem., 171, 363-368; Famulski and Wrzosek (1988) in The Ion Pumps-Structure, Function and Regulation (Stein, W.D., ed.), pp. 355-360, Alan R. Liss, New York).

Effect of hyper- and hypothyroidism on phospholipid fatty acid composition and phospholipases activity in sarcolemma of rabbit cardiac muscle

Lipid content and composition of fatty acids esterified to phospholipids of cardiac sarcolemma isolated from hyperthyroid, hypothyroid and control rabbits were analysed. Hyperthyroidism resulted in a significant reduction of the cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio as compared to control animals, while hypothyroidism exerted the opposite effect. Complex changes in composition of phospholipid fatty acids observed in hyperthyroid state led to an elevation of the fatty acid unsaturation index over the control value. The unsaturation index value was, however, not affected in the hypothyroid state. Thyroxine hormone administration increased phospholipase A1 and decreased phospholipase A2 activity. The opposite effect was observed in thyreodectomized animals. The effect of changes in sarcolemmal bulk phospholipids upon thyroxine administration or deficiency on regulation of activity of membrane-bound enzymes is discussed.

Oxidative stress and muscular dystrophy

Oxidative stress may be the fundamental basis of many of the structural, functional and biochemical changes characteristic of the inherited muscular dystrophies in animals and humans. The presence of by-products of oxidative damage, and the compensatory increases in cellular antioxidants, both indicate oxidative stress may be occurring in dystrophic muscle. Changes in the proportions and metabolism of cellular lipids, abnormal functions of cellular membranes, altered activity of membrane-bound enzymes such as the SR Ca2+-ATPase, disturbances in cellular protein turnover and energy production and a variety of other changes all indicate that these inherited muscular dystrophies appear more like the results of oxidative stress to muscle than any other type of underlying muscle disturbance. Particular details of these altered characteristics of dystrophic muscle, in combination with current knowledge on the processes of oxidative damage to cells, may provide some insight into the underlying biochemical defect responsible for the disease, as well as direct research towards the ultimate goal of an effective treatment.