Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Is Associated with Raised Energy Expenditure, Muscle Mitochondrial Uncoupling, and Hyperphagia
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Resistance to thyroid hormone is associated with raised energy expenditure, muscle mitochondrial uncoupling, and hyperphagia Catherine S. Mitchell, … , Krishna Chatterjee, Kitt Falk Petersen J Clin Invest. 2010;120(4):1345-1354. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI38793. Research Article Metabolism Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), a dominantly inherited disorder usually associated with mutations in thyroid hormone receptor β (THRB), is characterized by elevated levels of circulating thyroid hormones (including thyroxine), failure of feedback suppression of thyrotropin, and variable tissue refractoriness to thyroid hormone action. Raised energy expenditure and hyperphagia are recognized features of hyperthyroidism, but the effects of comparable hyperthyroxinemia in RTH patients are unknown. Here, we show that resting energy expenditure (REE) was substantially increased in adults and children with THRB mutations. Energy intake in RTH subjects was increased by 40%, with marked hyperphagia particularly evident in children. Rates of muscle TCA cycle flux were increased by 75% in adults with RTH, whereas rates of ATP synthesis were unchanged, as determined by 13C/31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mitochondrial coupling index between ATP synthesis and mitochondrial rates of oxidation (as estimated by the ratio of ATP synthesis to TCA cycle flux) was significantly decreased in RTH patients. These data demonstrate that basal mitochondrial substrate oxidation is increased and energy production in the form of ATP synthesis is decreased in the muscle of RTH patients and that resting oxidative phosphorylation is uncoupled in this disorder. Furthermore, these observations suggest that mitochondrial uncoupling in skeletal muscle is a major contributor to increased REE in patients with RTH, due to tissue selective retention of […] Find the latest version: https://jci.me/38793/pdf Research article Resistance to thyroid hormone is associated with raised energy expenditure, muscle mitochondrial uncoupling, and hyperphagia Catherine S. Mitchell,1 David B. Savage,1 Sylvie Dufour,2 Nadia Schoenmakers,1 Peter Murgatroyd,1 Douglas Befroy,3 David Halsall,4 Samantha Northcott,1 Philippa Raymond-Barker,1 Suzanne Curran,1 Elana Henning,1 Julia Keogh,1 Penny Owen,5 John Lazarus,5 Douglas L. Rothman,6 I. Sadaf Farooqi,1 Gerald I. Shulman,2,3,7 Krishna Chatterjee,1 and Kitt Falk Petersen3 1University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 2Howard Hughes Medical Institute and 3Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. 4Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Addenbrooke’s Hospital. 5Department of Medicine, University of Cardiff, United Kingdom. 6Department of Diagnostic Radiology and 7Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine. Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), a dominantly inherited disorder usually associated with mutations in thyroid hormone receptor β (THRB), is characterized by elevated levels of circulating thyroid hormones (including thyroxine), failure of feedback suppression of thyrotropin, and variable tissue refractoriness to thyroid hormone action. Raised energy expenditure and hyperphagia are recognized features of hyperthy- roidism, but the effects of comparable hyperthyroxinemia in RTH patients are unknown. Here, we show that resting energy expenditure (REE) was substantially increased in adults and children with THRB mutations. Energy intake in RTH subjects was increased by 40%, with marked hyperphagia particularly evident in chil- dren. Rates of muscle TCA cycle flux were increased by 75% in adults with RTH, whereas rates of ATP synthesis were unchanged, as determined by 13C/31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mitochondrial coupling index between ATP synthesis and mitochondrial rates of oxidation (as estimated by the ratio of ATP synthesis to TCA cycle flux) was significantly decreased in RTH patients. These data demonstrate that basal mitochon- drial substrate oxidation is increased and energy production in the form of ATP synthesis is decreased in the muscle of RTH patients and that resting oxidative phosphorylation is uncoupled in this disorder. Further- more, these observations suggest that mitochondrial uncoupling in skeletal muscle is a major contributor to increased REE in patients with RTH, due to tissue selective retention of thyroid hormone receptor α sensitivity to elevated thyroid hormone levels. Introduction subset of affected individuals can exhibit some clinical features Thyroid hormone action is mediated by the products of 2 human of hyperthyroidism, suggesting greater central or pituitary RTH genes (thyroid hormone receptor α [THRA] and thyroid hormone (PRTH) than in peripheral tissues. Although imprecise, this clini- receptor β [THRB]), which are alternately spliced to generate 3 cal distinction may remain useful in the management of the dis- highly homologous nuclear receptor isoforms (TRα1, TRβ1, and order (8). The basis of and mechanisms underlying variable tissue TRβ2) with differing tissue distributions (1). Resistance to thy- resistance in RTH are not fully understood. roid hormone (RTH) is an uncommon disorder, characterized by It is well recognized that the thyroid hormone is a major deter- elevated circulating thyroid hormones with nonsuppressed thyro- minant of energy expenditure, including basal metabolic rate tropin (TSH) levels, reflecting resistance within the hypothalam- (BMR) (9); indeed, even small changes in thyroid hormone levels in ic-pituitary-thyroid axis but variable refractoriness to hormone patients receiving hormone replacement are associated with effects action in peripheral tissues (2). Usually dominantly inherited, on resting energy expenditure (REE) (10). Markedly increased RTH is associated with diverse, heterozygous THRB gene muta- appetite is considered to be a clinical feature of hyperthyroidism, tions impairing hormone binding and/or transcriptional activ- and hyperphagia and enhanced energy intake have indeed been ity of receptors (3–5). In addition, mutant receptors inhibit the formally documented in thyrotoxicosis (11). action of their wild-type counterparts in a dominant-negative We have identified a large cohort of subjects with RTH, defined manner when they are coexpressed (6, 7). The clinical phenotype genetically with THRB gene mutations, with lifelong elevation of RTH is variable: most subjects are either asymptomatic or have of circulating thyroid hormones to levels comparable to conven- nonspecific symptoms and are deemed to be in a compensated tional thyrotoxicosis. To determine whether such hyperthyroxin- euthyroid state termed generalized RTH (GRTH); in contrast, a emia is associated with changes in energy balance, we have evalu- ated whole-body energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry, food Authorship note: Catherine S. Mitchell and David B. Savage contributed equally to intake using an ad libitum test meal (12), and quantified hunger this work. and satiety using visual analogue scores during energy balance Conflict of interest: The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists. feeding in adults and children with RTH. As skeletal muscle is the Citation for this article: J Clin Invest. 2010;120(4):1345–1354. doi:10.1172/JCI38793. major determinant of energy expenditure in humans (13), we have The Journal of Clinical Investigation http://www.jci.org Volume 120 Number 4 April 2010 1345 research article Table 1 Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical characteristics of control, adult patients with RTH, and thyrotoxic patients studied by venti- lated hood calorimetry Control RTH Thyrotoxic ANOVA P value P value (16 M, 29 F) (22 M, 32 F) (3 M, 8 F) P value (RTH vs. control) (RTH vs. thyrotoxic) Age (yr) 37.5 ± 1.7 40.6 ± 2.0 44.1 ± 4.2 0.25 NS NS Weight (kg) 69.3 ± 2.1 71.9 ± 2.0 64.8 ± 2.7 0.27 NS NS BMI (18.5–25 kg/m2) 24.5 ± 0.7 26.2 ± 0.7 23.7 ± 0.8 0.10 NS NS Fat to lean mass ratio 0.49 ± 0.04 0.60 ± 0.04 0.61 ± 0.06 0.06 <0.05 NS TSH (0.4–4.0 mU/l) 1.56 ± 0.12 4.06 ± 0.56 <0.03 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 fT4 (9–20 pmol/l) 13.7 ± 0.3 33.7 ± 1.6 38.9 ± 6.7 <0.01 <0.01 NS fT3 (3–7.5 pmol/l) 5.5 ± 0.1 13.3 ± 0.6 25.8 ± 3.2 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 Sleeping heart rate (bpm) 60 ± 1 67 ± 1 79 ± 4 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 HOMA-IR (1.0) 1.3 ± 0.2 1.9 ± 0.2 1.2 ± 0.1 0.02 <0.05 NS FFA (280–920 μmol/l) 268 ± 18 359 ± 21 479 ± 47 <0.01 <0.01 <0.05 Total cholesterol (mmol/l) 4.7 ± 0.2 4.8 ± 0.1 4.1 ± 0.3 0.10 NS NS LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) 2.8 ± 0.1 3.0 ± 0.1 2.5 ± 0.2 0.13 NS NS Triglycerides (mmol/l) 1.2 ± 0.1 1.5 ± 0.1 1.0 ± 0.1 0.11 NS NS HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) 1.5 ± 0.1 1.2 ± 0.1 1.2 ± 0.1 <0.05 0.01 NS SHBG 48.1 ± 4.0 34.1 ± 3.1 129.6 ± 15.4 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 Data were analyzed using ANOVA with post-hoc Dunnett’s analyses. P values of less than 0.05 were considered significantly. The number 1.0 for HOMA- IR is based on the assumption that normal-weight, healthy subjects aged less than 35 years have an insulin resistance of 1 and β cell function of 100%. M, male; F, female. used 13C/31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to assess firming that the liver is refractory to thyroid hormone action in in vivo resting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation activ- this disorder as has been described previously (16). ity noninvasively in a subset of this RTH cohort. The rate of flux Energy expenditure in RTH subjects. REE, measured by indirect through the TCA cycle, a direct measure of mitochondrial oxida- calorimetry and expressed per kilogram LBM to allow for dif- tive function, was determined using 13C MRS during an infusion ferences in body composition between groups, was significantly of [2-13C] acetate.