There is evidence that iodoarachidonates are mediators of
iodide in thyroid autoregulation, however, their occurrence in vivo has not yet been demonstrated. We therefore tried to identify delta-iodolactone (5-Hydroxy-6-iodo-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic delta-lactone, IL-delta) in thyroid tissue from a patient with
Graves' disease treated with high doses of
iodide.
Lipids were extracted from thyroid tissue, purified by reversed phase chromatography and analyzed by gas chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MSMS). The retention time in gas chromatography and fragmentation pattern in tandem mass spectrometry were determined with biochemically synthesized non-deuterated and deuterated
IL-delta. According to retention time (13.44 min) and specific fragments (m/z 303, m/z 259) the occurrence of
IL-delta could be demonstrated in the extract of
iodide treated
goiter. In vitro,
potassium iodide (40 microM) as well as
IL-delta (1.0 microM) significantly inhibited the proliferation of human thyroid follicular cells induced by
phorbol ester TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate). These results demonstrate for the first time that
Il-delta is present in
iodide treated human thyroid. As cell proliferation is under negative control of
IL-delta, a crucial role in thyroid involution following
iodide treatment may be possible.