Carrier-Mediated Thyroid Hormone Transport into Placenta by Placental Transthyretin

Context: The serum protein transthyretin (TTR) plays an important role in the transport of thyroid hormone and retinol, which are critical for normal development of the human fetus. TTR is not only synthesized and secreted into the circulation by the liver and other tissues but is also synthesized by placental trophoblasts, which separate the maternal and fetal circulations. Whether it is secreted or taken up by these cells and whether it carries thyroid hormone is unknown. Objective and Methods: Our objective was to study placental handling of TTR and determine whether TTR participates in placental thyroid hormone transport. We investigated the capacity of human placenta and choriocarcinoma cell lines to secrete and internalize TTR and its ligands by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and uptake of radiolabeled TTR. Results: Human placental explants and TTR expressing JEG-3 cells secrete TTR. JEG-3 cells grown in bicameral chambers secrete TTR, predominantly from the apical surface. Human placental explants and JEG-3 cells internalize Alexa Fluor488-labeled TTR and I-125-TTR. Furthermore, binding to thyroid hormones (T-4, T-3) increases I-125-TTR uptake by enhancing tetramer formation. Cross-linking experiments confirm internalization of the TTR-I-125-T-4 complex. Conclusions: Our results suggest that human placenta and choriocarcinoma cells secrete transthyretin, which binds extracellular T-4, and that T-4 binding results in increased internalization of TTR-T-4 complex. TTR production by trophoblasts may represent a mechanism to allow transfer of maternal thyroid hormone to the fetal circulation that could have important implications for fetal development. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94: 2610-2616, 2009)