Ding Haoran, Qin Jiabo, Li Yixuan, Dai Linghui, Xu Fazhan, Liu Zhijian, Shi Xianbiao, Guan Wenxian, Sang Jianfeng
Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2025 Apr;48(4):861-876. doi: 10.1007/s40618-024-02505-0. Epub 2024 Nov 22.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (AITD) is a prevalent autoimmune disorder characterized by the immune system's attack on thyroid tissue, potentially leading to thyroid dysfunction, with a current lack of effective treatment modalities. Lactoferrin, a crucial functional dietary component obtainable from food sources, primarily exists in mammalian milk. We aim to investigate whether dietary supplementation with lactoferrin can protect the thyroid in Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis (EAT) rats. Our study reveals significantly elevated levels of oxidative stress (OS) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in the AITD. Lactoferrin markedly reduces OS and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the thyroid tissue of EAT rats. Furthermore, lactoferrin inhibits ERS levels in the thyroid of EAT rats and alleviates cellular apoptosis. In vivo and in vitro experiments elucidate that its protective effect is primarily achieved through the inhibition of mTOR signaling pathway activation. In summary, lactoferrin, a nutrient readily obtainable from food sources, appears to be effective in mitigating thyroid damage in AITD.
自身免疫性甲状腺炎（AITD）是一种常见的自身免疫性疾病，其特征是免疫系统攻击甲状腺组织，可能导致甲状腺功能障碍，目前缺乏有效的治疗方法。乳铁蛋白是一种可从食物来源获得的关键功能性膳食成分，主要存在于哺乳动物乳汁中。我们旨在研究在实验性自身免疫性甲状腺炎（EAT）大鼠中，补充乳铁蛋白的饮食是否能保护甲状腺。我们的研究表明，AITD中氧化应激（OS）和内质网应激（ERS）水平显著升高。乳铁蛋白显著降低了EAT大鼠甲状腺组织中的OS和炎性细胞浸润。此外，乳铁蛋白抑制EAT大鼠甲状腺中的ERS水平并减轻细胞凋亡。体内和体外实验表明，其保护作用主要通过抑制mTOR信号通路激活来实现。总之，乳铁蛋白这种易于从食物来源获得的营养素，似乎对减轻AITD中的甲状腺损伤有效。
