title: Effect of thiocyanate on microtubule assembly in rat brain during postnatal development.
abstract: The effects of feeding thiocyanate (a goitrogen derived from thioglucosides, which are naturally occurring in certain foods) to female rats throughout gestation and lactation on a microtubule assembly of pups during postnatal development were examined. Microtubules, which are important components of the neuronal cell cytoskeleton, may serve as markers of neurite growth. A progressive increase with age in the initial rate of microtubule assembly was apparent in both untreated control and thiocyanate-treated rat pups in the cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem. Thiocyanate treatment did not alter the tubulin content at any of the developmental stages studied (7, 14 and 21 days postnatal). However, examination of the microtubule assembly revealed a markedly reduced polymerization of tubulin into microtubules in brain regions of thiocyanate-treated rats compared with untreated controls. The effect of thiocyanate on microtubule assembly was evident at all three ages (7, 14 and 21 days). Thiocyanate-induced hypothyroidism increased the lag period for initiation of assembly and also altered the initial rate of microtubule formation. This study suggests that a partial suppression of thyroid function by thiocyanate, as evidenced by a decrease in circulating concentrations of thyroxine, could bring about alterations in microtubule formation during brain development and suggests the possibility of an impairment in the process of microtubule metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Neurochemistry Department, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lakshmy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srinivasarao
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D013861:Thiocyanates; D014404:Tubulin; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013974:Thyroxine; C009941:potassium thiocyanate