title: Methimazole treatment aggravates low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
abstract: Treatment of mice with methimazole was found to modulate diabetes development following low-dose (5 x 40 mg/kg body weight) streptozotocin administration. The administration of 0.2 or 1 mg methimazole per kg body weight for 1-3 weeks significantly enhanced hyperglycemia. The enhancing effect of methimazole was also seen when administration began only after termination of streptozotocin injections. Methimazole treatment did not potentiate diabetes induced by a single high dose of streptozotocin (175 mg/kg). Serum thyroxin levels were not affected due to the short period of thyrostatic treatment. Semiquantitative immunocytochemistry of inflamed islets did not show a stronger influx of immune cells but rather a high activation state of infiltrated macrophages (M1/70 positive). We conclude that methimazole enhances the development of immune-mediated diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Institute, University of Düsseldorf, F.R.G.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hibbe
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kiesel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kolb-Bachofen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kolb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008713:Methimazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D008713:Methimazole; D013311:Streptozocin; D013974:Thyroxine