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Spitzweg et al., München, Germany, measured gene expression
of hNIS in different human extrathyroidal tissues. Measurement of mRNA
of hNIS is possible because cloning of the hNIS has recently been succeeded.
hNIS gene expression was found in parotid gland, thymus, pituitary gland,
mammary gland, and gastric mucosa with lesser amounts in heart and submandibular
gland an little expression in nasopharyngeal mucosa but no expression in
orbital fibroblasts, colon, brain, placenta, lung, liver, skeletal muscle,
kidney, spleen, and blood leucocytes. The authors comment that the physiological
significance of these findings have yet to be elucidated.
Saito et al., Yamanashi, Japan, compared hmRNA of hNIS in normal human thyroid and in thyroids of patients with Graves' disease. They found 3.8-fold increased concentrations of the message in Graves' thyroid glands. They also found that incubation of human thyroid cells in culture with TSH or forskolin increased hNIS mRNA 2-3-fold. |
