[Effects of inorganic nitrates on thyroid gland activity and morphology in female rats].
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.
Chaoui
Ahmed Ait
AA
Laboratoire de Physiologie Animale, Université Cadi Ayyad, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Beni Mellal, Maroc. a.chaoui@fstbm.ac.ma
Zaki
Abdelwahab
A
Talibi
Abdellah
A
Chait
Abderrahman
A
Derouiche
Abdelfettah
A
Aboussaouira
Touria
T
Benabdjlil
Fatima
F
Himmi
Thami
T
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
D009566:Nitrates