Effects of Kang-Jia-Wan, a Chinese medicinal herb officinal, on apoptosis induction in goiter of rats.
BACKGROUND
Kang-Jia-Wan (KJW), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is widely used to treat goiter in the clinics in China.


OBJECTIVE
The mechanisms by which KJW treats goiter are unclear. It is known that insufficient apoptosis of thyrocytes is involved in the formation of goiter. Here, we investigated whether KJW could induce apoptosis in goiter of rats given methimazole (MMI).


METHODS
Fifty-six Wistar rats were randomly separated into four groups: normal, MMI, MMI+low-dose KJW and MMI+hig h-dose KJW. Except for the normal group (20 rats), all groups (each with 12 rats) were given 0.04% (w/v) MMI in their drinking water. One week later, the rats in MMI+low- and high-dose KJW groups were orally supplemented with KJW at 250 mg/kg d(-1) and 1000 mg/kg d(-1), respectively.


RESULTS
After KJW treatment for 12 weeks, the relative thyroid weight (mg/100g body weight) of the MMI+high-dose KJW group decreased significantly. Features of apoptosis were also apparent in thyroid tissues of rats given KJW treatment. Importantly, KJW markedly increased the caspase-3 and Fas protein expression, in a dose-dependent manner, in the thyroid specimens.


CONCLUSIONS
These results showed that KJW played a therapeutic role via apoptosis induction in the goitrous glands.
Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Yong
Y
Han
Ling
L
Gao
Nannan
N
Sun
Jie
J
Zhang
Wei
W
Zhang
Xinli
X
Zhou
Haiqing
H
Zhang
Jiajun
J
Zhao
D000818:Animals; D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006042:Goiter / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008713:Methimazole; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C491898:Fas protein, rat; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019014:fas Receptor; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D008713:Methimazole; D013972:Thyrotropin; D053148:Caspase 3; D013974:Thyroxine