Thyroid hormone regulation of intestinal epithelial stem cell biology

Developmental and adult features of the intestine and action of the thyroid hormone-dependent pathway. The schematic diagram summarizes the correlation between endogenous TH levels and the mouse intestinal development. During the postnatal development, characterized by a dramatic increase in circulating TH levels (upper diagram), the intestinal epithelium completes the final steps of its maturation (lower diagram). Indeed, crypt formation and extensive growth are modulated by several factors, including THs. Of note, in adulthood there is an overlapping gradient of TRα1 expression and Wnt and Notch activities within the intestinal crypts.172