Polarized efflux of iodide in porcine thyrocytes occurs via a cAMP-regulated iodide channel in the apical plasma membrane.

The intracellular regulation of thyrotropin-stimulated iodide efflux was studied in polarized porcine thyrocytes grown as a continuous, tight monolayer in bicameral culture chambers. From a previous study using this system we know that thyrotropin rapidly increases iodide efflux in the apical but not basal direction of the polarized epithelium. [125I]-iodide efflux in apical direction was stimulated by thyrotropin in a concentration-dependent manner (1-10 U/l), whereas efflux in basal direction was unchanged at any thyrotropin dose. Thyrotropin-induced elevation of intracellular cAMP showed a corresponding concentration dependence. The selective stimulation of apical efflux by thyrotropin was evident also when re-uptake of iodide released in basal direction was blocked by perchlorate. The effect of thyrotropin on apical efflux was mimicked by 8-bromo-cAMP and forskolin, whereas agents known to activate the Ca2+/phosphatidylinositol cascade (epidermal growth factor) and protein kinase C (phorbol ester) or increase cytosolic [Ca2+] (A23187) were inactive. We conclude that the selective stimulation by thyrotropin of apical iodide efflux, corresponding to efflux in luminal direction in intact follicles, occurs via cAMP-regulated iodide channels present in the apical domain of the plasma membrane.