Endocrine Abstracts

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) support angiogenesis and thus tissue growth. They are synthesised and secreted by several cell types but their actions are normally limited to endothelial cells which express VEGF receptors (VEGFRs). Using qRT-PCR and Western blotting we found that normal human thyroid follicular cells also express VEGFRs (VEGFR1-3, neuropilin1 and 2). We have examined the regulation of the expression of VEGFs and PlGFs in the cells. Cells were fully...

We have recently shown that human thyroid follicular cells in culture secrete large amounts of active plasminogen activators (PAs). Thyroid cells also secrete large amounts of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and express their receptors, the VEGFRs. PAs, as serine proteases, are known to process growth factors, particularly VEGFs into active forms. In endothelial cells, VEGFs stimulate PA production. We examined the effect of inhibiting VEGF signalling on thyroid fo...

In vitro human thyroid follicular cells have been shown to secrete vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs). VEGFs transduce their effects by binding to their receptors, VEGFRs, leading to receptor phosphorylation and recruitment of downstream signalling molecules. Using RT-PCR we found that normal human thyroid follicular cells in culture express VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3. Western blotting using antisera specific for phosphotyrosine at 1214 of the GRB2 SH2 bindin...

The plasminogen activator (PA) system plays a central role in biological processes that involve extracellular proteolysis including tissue remodelling, blood clotting, angiogenesis and metastases. The thyroid gland is highly vascular and undergoes extensive remodelling in goitre. We found that primary cultures of human thyroid follicular cells secrete large amounts of PAs (2.5-110 U per ml per day per 105 cells), both urokinase-like (uPA) and tissue-type (tPA), and ...

Using qRT-PCR, we found that normal human thyroid follicular cells in culture express the mRNAs for the receptors for vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFRs). qRT-PCR revealed that the relative production of mRNAs for VEGFRs was neuropilin1=neuropilin2=VEGFR2>VEGFR1 >VEGFR3. Western blotting for phosphoVEGFR2 showed labelling of a 235 kDa protein with few degradation products. VEGFR2 is likely in its active, phosphorylated form, because thyroid cells secrete large...

Human thyroid follicular cells in culture synthesise plasminogen activators, both urokinase (uPA) and tissue-type (tPA). The PAs secreted into the culture medium were active (2.5–50 U/ml) and able to mediate the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. Secreted PA activity (PAA) was markedly increased by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and protein kinase C (PKC) activation with TPA. There was a corresponding increase in uPA and tPA mRNA levels and in uPA and tPA protein secret...

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pregnant women and associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia. Active vitamin-D (1,25(OH)2D3) exerts important non-classical immune-regulatory effects, and the maternal placenta (decidua) appears a key target. Uterine natural killer cells (uNKs) are the most prominent decidual immune cell during early pregnancy. Given their critical role in fetal implantation and placentation, we hypothesised uNKs are a local source...

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pregnant women and associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia. Active vitamin-D (1,25(OH)2D3) exerts important non-classical immune-regulatory effects, and the maternal placenta (decidua) appears a key target. Uterine natural killer cells (uNKs) are the most prominent decidual immune cell during early pregnancy. Given their critical role in fetal implantation and placentation, we hypothesised uNKs are a local source...

Vitamin D-deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with increased complications of pregnancy including a high risk of pre-eclampsia (PET). Current analysis of vitamin D ‘status’ is based exclusively on analysis of maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), the circulating precursor form of vitamin D. We hypothesised that comprehensive profiling of vitamin D metabolites may provide a more accurate determination of vitamin D function i...

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pregnant women. Active vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) exerts important non-classical immune-regulatory effects, and the maternal placenta (decidua) is a potential target for this. CD56+ -uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are the most prominent cell type in the decidua during early pregnancy. Given their critical role in foetal implantation and placentation, we hypothesised that uNK cells are a pivotal immunomodula...