I really don't know where to start with this paper! Does it make any sense that T4 can be taken into cells whilst actually bound to a transporter protein (transthyretin)?
Transthyretin is also involved with vitamin A (the name comes from trans(porter) thy(roid hormone) retin(ol) - a form of vitamin A).
And then throw in the possibility of HDL (high density lipoprotein - usually discussed in relation to cholesterol) being a part of the process.
If you don't understand a word, walk on by. I can't tell you how many times I have stuttered through it myself. Still not sure what it all means but the mere possibility of this being a description of reality adds yet another level of complexity.
Journal of Lipids
Volume 2019, Article ID 7317639, 7 pages
Research Article
Scavenger Receptor Class B Member 1 Independent Uptake of Transthyretin by Cultured Hepatocytes Is Regulated by High Density Lipoprotein
Kelly A. Landers,1 Michael C. d’Emden,2,3 and Kerry Richard
1,3,4
1 Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
2Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
3 School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
4 School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
Correspondence should be addressed to Kerry Richard; kerry.richard@qimrberghofer.edu.au
Received 9 April 2019; Revised 31 May 2019; Accepted 4 June 2019; Published 18 June 2019
Academic Editor: Matti Jauhiainen
Abstract
Thyroid hormone (thyroxine, T4) is essential for the normal function of all cell types and is carried in serum bound to several proteins including transthyretin. Recently, evidence has emerged of alternate pathways for hormone entry into cells that are dependent on hormone binding proteins. Transthyretin and transthyretin bound T4 are endocytosed by placental trophoblasts through the high-density lipoprotein receptor, Scavenger Receptor Class B Type 1 (SR-B1). High density lipoprotein (HDL) affects the expression and function of SR-B1 in trophoblast cells. SR-B1 is also expressed in hepatocytes and we sought to determine if hepatocyte SR-B1 was involved in transthyretin or transthyretin-T4 uptake and whether uptake was affected by HDL. Transthyretin and transthyretin-T4 uptake by hepatocytes is not dependent on SR-B1. HDL treatment reduced SR-B1 expression. However, pretreatment of hepatocytes with HDL increased uptake of transthyretin-T4. Knockdown of SR-B1 expression using siRNA also increased transthyretin-T4 uptake. Coaddition of HDL to transthyretin uptake experiments blocked both transthyretin and transthyretin-T4 uptake. Hepatocyte uptake of transthyretin-T4 uptake is influenced by, but is not dependent on, SR-B1 expression. HDL also decreases transthyretin-T4 uptake and therefore diet or drugs may interfere with this process. This suggests that multiple lipoprotein receptors may be involved in the regulation of uptake of transthyretin-T4 in a cell-type specific manner. Further study is required to understand this important process.