Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) autoregulation reduces variation in the TSH response to thyroid hormones

Abstract

The physiological functions of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) autoregulation, the ultra-short feedback loop inhibition of TSH by TSH itself, have not been determined. In this work we explored the role of TSH autoregulation in thyroid homeostasis. We synthesized the known physiology of autoregulation with theknown physiological relationships between thyroid hormones; in particular between free thyroxine and TSH. We analysed the implications of TSH autoregulation, on the generation of the TSH response to free thyroxine (the ‘TSH curve’), and on the variation inthis response, which might result from variations in hypothalamopituitary or thyroid gland function. Our analysis demonstrated that, in the circumstances of inter-individual and intra-individual variations to hypothalamo-pituitary function TSH autoregulation lessens variation in the TSH curve. This in turn enhances the probability of generating and maintaining a euthyroid free thyroxine value. This contribution of TSH autoregulation to the stabilisation of thyroid physiology offers a logical explanation for the evolutionary selection of this physiological process.