title: [Effects of inorganic nitrates on thyroid gland activity and morphology in female rats].
abstract: The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of intake of inorganic nitrates in drinking water on thyroid gland activity and morphology in female rats. During 5 months of treatment, nitrates 50, 150 and 500 mg/L induced a significant dose-dependent decrease in bodyweight gain, compared with the control rats. At the end of the experiment, nitrates 150 and 500 mg/L induced hypertrophy of the thyroid gland, accompanied by an increase in the size of the thyroid follicles and hyposecretion of thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (tetraiodothyronine). We concluded that a high nitrate intake in water influenced thyroid gland activity and morphology and might be considered to be a goitrogenic factor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie Animale, Université Cadi Ayyad, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Beni Mellal, Maroc. a.chaoui@fstbm.ac.ma
authors.forename: Ahmed Ait
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chaoui
authors.forename: Abdelwahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: Abdellah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talibi
authors.forename: Abderrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chait
authors.forename: Abdelfettah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derouiche
authors.forename: Touria
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aboussaouira
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benabdjlil
authors.forename: Thami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himmi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009566:Nitrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates