ACTION IN VITRO OF THYROTROPIC HORMONE AND IODIDE ON THYROID CELLS

Abstract

STUDIES of the cellular changes of the thyroid gland in the intact animal are complicated by the intervention of many factors such as innervation and blood supply, which might influence cell activity. The thyroid is also dependent on the action of other organs, principally the pituitary gland, which regulates thyroid physiology. For these reasons it seemed advantageous to use an in vitro technique by which such uncontrolled complicating factors could be avoided, thus permitting a study of the cytology of the gland under well controlled conditions. It was also thought that with this method the influence on the thyroid cells of different drugs and hormones known to affect the activity of the gland in vivo could be studied with a view towards determining if the action of the agent is exerted directly on the thyroid cells or indirectly.