[The action of phenylmercuriacetate and nitrate in combined application in rats: the thyroid gland, liver enzymes and morphologic findings in the brain and kidney].

Rats were exposed to nitrate (NO3-) in drinking water, to phenylmercuryacetate (PMA) by gavage and to NO3- and PMA together during 4 different experiments. PMA impaired kidneys, NO3- thyroid gland, and NO3- and PMA together both organs. In the last case a synergistic effect on the thyroid gland was shown. The lowest effective concentration of NO3- was 40 mg/l. It resulted in histomorphological changes of the thyroid epithelial cells. That low effective dose of NO3- and possible synergistic effects should give a further impulse to take into consideration not only a low iodide intake but also goitrogenic environmental chemicals when evaluating the endemic goitre prevalence.