Kupffer cell function in thyroid hormone-induced liver oxidative stress in the rat

The influence of thyroid hormone (L-3, 3', 5-triiodothyronine, T-3) On Kupffer cell function was studied in the isolated perfused rat liver by colloidal carbon infusion. Rates of carbon uptake were determined from the influent minus effluent concentration difference and the flow rate, and the respective carbon-induced respiratory activity was calculated by integration of the area under the O-2 curves during carbon infusion. In the concentration range of 0.2 to 2.0 mg of carbon/ml, livers from euthyroid rats exhibited a sigmoidal-type kinetics of carbon uptake, with a Vmax of 4.8 mg/g liver/min and a concentration of 0.82 mg/ml for half-maximal rate; carbon-induced O-2 uptake presented a hyperbolic-type kinetics, with a Vmax of 4.57 mu mol of O-2/g Liver and a Km of 0.74 mg of carbon/ml, which significantly correlates with the carbon uptake rates. Light-microscopy showed that carbon was taken up exclusively by non-parenchymal cells, predominantly by Kupffer cell!;. Thyroid calorigenesis was found in parallel with increased rates of hepatic O-2 consumption and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TEARS) formation, glutathione (GSH) depletion, and higher sinusoidal lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) efflux compared to control values. In the concentration range of 0.25 to 0.75 mg/ml, carbon infusion did not modify liver LDH efflux in control rats, while it was significantly enhanced in T-3-treated animals. In this latter group, higher carbon concentrations (1 and 1.3 mg/ml) led to loss of viability of the liver. At 0.25 to 0.75 mg of carbon/ml, both the rates of carbon uptake and the associated carbon-induced respiratory activities were significantly increased by T-3 treatment, effects that were abolished by pretreat ment of the rats with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3). In addition, GdCl3 decreased by 50% the changes induced by T-3 in hepatic GSH content and TEARS formation. It is concluded that hyperthyroidism enhances Kupffer cell function, correlated with the increased number of liver macrophages observed histologically, which may represent an alternate source of reactive O-2 species to that induced in parenchymal cells, thus contributing to the enhanced oxidative stress status developed.