Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2010 May 5;319(1-2):1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2010.01.005. Epub 2010 Jan 18.
Arecoline is a plant alkaloid of betel nut Areca catechu. Arecoline has immunosuppressive, hepatotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects, and disturbs some endocrine organs in rats. The objective is to investigate the untoward effects of arecoline on the thyroid gland in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of arecoline (10 mg/kg body weight only once) increased the serum T(3) and T(4) levels and decreased the serum TSH 20, 40 or 60 min after the treatment, with maximum effect at 40 min. Chronic arecoline treatment (10 mg/kg body weight daily for 15 days) caused light microscopic and ultrastructural degenerations of thyro-follicular cells with depletion of T(3) and T(4) levels followed by the elevation of the TSH level. Atropine (arecoline antagonist) injection prevented the changes (hyperactivity) induced by acute (40 min) arecline treatment. Arecoline initially stimulates thyroid activity, and eventually inhibits the activity; atropine prevents thyroid dysfunction induced by arecoline. Arecoline action is mediated probably via muscarinic cholinergic receptor-hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in mice.
槟榔碱是槟榔的植物生物碱。槟榔碱具有免疫抑制、肝毒性、致突变和致畸作用，并扰乱大鼠的一些内分泌器官。本研究旨在探讨槟榔碱对小鼠甲状腺的不良影响。腹腔注射槟榔碱（仅 10mg/kg 体重，一次）可在治疗后 20、40 或 60 分钟时升高血清 T3 和 T4 水平，并降低血清 TSH，最大作用在 40 分钟时。慢性槟榔碱处理（10mg/kg 体重，每日 15 天）导致甲状腺滤泡细胞的光镜和超微结构退化，T3 和 T4 水平降低，随后 TSH 水平升高。阿托品（槟榔碱拮抗剂）注射可预防急性（40 分钟）槟榔碱处理引起的变化（活性增强）。槟榔碱最初刺激甲状腺活性，最终抑制活性；阿托品可预防槟榔碱引起的甲状腺功能障碍。槟榔碱的作用可能是通过小鼠的毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱能受体-下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺轴介导的。
