Inducible cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in the human thyroid epithelial cell line Nthy-ori3-1.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the genes encoding Cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 are expressed in thyroid epithelial cells, in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: COX-1/-2 gene expression was examined in the thyroid epithelial cell line Nthy-ori3-1 using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. ELISAs were employed to assess whole cell COX-enzyme activity, PGE2 and IL-6 formation. RESULTS: In response to IL-1beta and TNF-alpha combined cells of the thyroid epithelial cell line Nthy-ori3-1 secreted marked amounts of PGE2 in a time-dependent fashion. This is attributed to increased levels of COX-2 specific mRNA, increased amounts of COX-2 protein and COX enzyme activity in the absence of detectable COX-1 protein. The inhibition of the induced COX enzyme activity by the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 demonstrated the presence of COX-2 pharmacologically. The expression of the COX-2 gene was also accompanied by a marked induction of IL-6 formation, a well described inflammatory response of thyroid epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our observation presents first evidence that COX-2 gene expression is inducible in thyroid epithelial cells, in vitro, upon stimulation with the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. This finding may indicate that thyroid epithelial cells could play an inflammatory controlling role perhaps during auto-immune thyroid diseases.[1]References
- Inducible cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in the human thyroid epithelial cell line Nthy-ori3-1. Berg, J., Stöcher, M., Bogner, S., Wölfl, S., Pichler, R., Stekel, H. Inflamm. Res. (2000) [Pubmed]
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