Signs of apoptosis in the pituitary, thyroid and ovaries of female rats after a single dose of potassium iodide.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this work was to study the effect of a single dose of iodide on the expression of apoptosis mediating enzymes (caspase 32 and caspase 8) as well as of antiapoptopic protein Bcl-2 in the anterior pituitary, thyroid and ovaries in rats.


METHODS
A total of 24 inbred rat females of local laboratory strain weighing 250-300 g at the stage of diestrus and/or metestrus were used. Pituitary, thyroid and ovaries were dissected from the first group (8 control rats) at the same time as these from the second group (8 rats) and third group (8 rats) which were given potassium iodide (KI; 4 microg/100g body weight by gavage) 48 hours and 120 hours prior to the sacrifice, respectively. Streptavidin-biotin method was used to define the expression of caspase 8 and 32 as well as that of Bcl-2 with the aid of specific monoclonal antibodies in terms of the percentage of positive immunostained area (% PA).


RESULTS
Histological examinations of endocrine glands did not show any signs of necrosis. In the thyroid a significant decrease of both caspases 32 and 8 was found at 120 hrs after KI administration. In contrast, however, in the pituitary a significant increase of caspase 32 appeared at 120 hrs after KI administration, although a considerable, but not significant increase of both caspases 32 and 8 already appeared after 48 hrs. In the ovaries a considerable and about the same increase of both caspases 32 and 8 appeared at 120 hrs after KI, though the difference was significant only for caspase 8. In addition, however, a considerable, but not significant, increase of caspase 32 at 48 hrs also appeared in the ovaries.


CONCLUSIONS
The apoptotic activity was induced in the pituitary and ovaries of female rats by a single dose of KI, as shown by considerable increase of both the effectory caspase 32 and initiatory caspase 8 at 48 and 120 hrs after iodide administration. In contrast, however, in the thyroid any considerable changes in caspase 32 and caspase 8 were not observed after 48 hrs, while a significant decrease of both appeared after 120 hrs. Although no changes in Bcl-2 were found in the pituitary and thyroid, considerable and significant decrease appeared in the ovaries after 120 hrs.
Basalaeva
N
N
Medical Provision at South Ural Railways, The Territorial Branch of Russian Railways State-Owned Joint-Stock Company, Chelyabinsk, Russia. nadezhda.basalaeva@gmail.com
Sychugov
G
G
Miphtakhutdinov
N
N
Strizhikov
V
V
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011193:Potassium Iodide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
C494821:Bad protein, rat; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D011193:Potassium Iodide; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases; C554639:caspase 32, rat