Long-term effects of thyroid stimulating hormone and insulin on intracellular pH in FRTL-5 cells.
Wood. A M AM; Bidey. S P SP; Soden. J J; Robertson. W R WR
Key Findings
- Insulin alone raised intracellular pH from about 7.26 to ~7.43‑7.48.
- TSH alone raised intracellular pH to ~7.72‑7.89, a larger increase than insulin.
- Combining insulin and TSH still produced an alkaline shift (pH ~7.75‑7.81), even when bicarbonate was present.
Practical Outcomes
- The results show that hormones like insulin and TSH can change cell acidity in a lab setting, but they do not provide any direct guidance for human health, dosing, or performance. For biohackers, this study offers no actionable protocol or safety information related to GHK‑Cu or everyday supplementation.
Summary
A lab study on thyroid cells found that both insulin and thyroid‑stimulating hormone (TSH) make the inside of the cells more alkaline (higher pH), with TSH having a stronger effect. This was observed in cultured cells, not in people.
Abstract
We have studied the chronic effects of TSH (100 microU/ml) and insulin (10 micrograms/ml) on intracellular pH (pH(i)) in FRTL-5 cells using the pH sensitive probe 2'7-bis (2-carboxyethyl-5'-6') carboxyfluorescein. FRTL-5 cells were cultured on Petri dishes either in the presence of 4H, ie. Coons F-12 containing cortisol (10 nM), transferrin (0.5 microgram/ml), glycyl-histidyl lysine acetate (10 ng/ml) and somatostatin (10 micrograms/ml), or with 4H + insulin (5H), 4H + TSH, or 4H + TSH + insulin (6H). pH(i) was measured in small groups of cells by microspectrofluorimetry both in the presence and absence of bicarbonate ions after cells had been deprived of serum for at least a day. In the absence of TSH, insulin and bicarbonate ions, pH(i) was 7.26 +/- 0.18 (mean +/- SD, n = 49) rising to 7.89 +/- 0.09 (n = 59) and 7.43 +/- 0.1 (n = 55) in the presence of TSH (4H + TSH) and insulin (5H) respectively. Addition of both insulin and TSH (6H) resulted in a pH(i) of 7.75 +/- 0.09 (n = 40). In the absence of TSH and insulin, but the presence of bicarbonate ions, pH(i) was 7.29 +/- 0.12 (mean +/- SD n = 47) rising to 7.72 +/- 0.07 (n = 59) in 4H + TSH and 7.48 +/- 0.08 (n = 60) in 5H. pH(i) in the presence of both TSH and insulin was 7.81 +/- 0.03 (n = 60). In conclusion, both insulin and TSH caused an intracellular alkalinization, TSH markedly so, even in the presence of bicarbonate ions.
Study Information
pubmed
1992
10.1677/joe.0.133r009