Carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism causes the adrenal atrophy in 10 days' prenatally treated albino rats.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism, and simultaneous administration of thyroxine (thyroid hormone analogue) on the adrenal glands of 10 days' prenatally treated albino rats.

DESIGN

A comparative study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, from 15th July 2001 to 31st August 2001.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ten days old albino rats of either gender, which were delivered by their respective mothers which were originally obtained from Charles River Breeding Laboratories, Brooklyn, Massachusetts, USA, and were cross bred, housed and maintained on the balanced diet in the Animal House of BMSI, JPMC, Karachi. Eighteen prenatally treated albino rats of 10 days old were used in the experiment and divided into three groups: X, Y and Z, comprising 06 animals in each group, i.e. from carbimazole treated mothers (X), carbimazole plus thyroxine treated mothers (Y), and controlled mothers (Z). At the end of 10th postnatal day all the animals were sacrificed, their adrenal glands were removed, fixed, sectioned, and stained with H&E. The adrenal histology with relation to its width of cortex, zones and number of cells in different zones of cortex were studied.

RESULTS

Carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism causes the adrenal atrophy in the adrenals of 10 days' prenatally treated albino rats by decreasing the total width of cortex and its zones especially zona fasciculata.

CONCLUSION

Carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism by carbimazole causes the shrinkage of adrenal cortex in 10 days prenatally treated albino rats.