Thyroid characteristics in protein-energy malnutrition

The thyroid gland of 30 infants aged 6-18 months and died with history of protein-energy malnutrition [marasmus and kwashiorkor] was studied cytologically and compared with the thyroid finding of 15 infants who died from other causes than protein-energy malnutrition. This study was undertaken to throw more light on the effect of protein-energy malnutrition on the cytoarchitectural organization as well as enzymatic pattern of the thyroid gland and to correlate such findings with the hormonal data. The study showed that the diameter of both peripheral and central follicles of malnourished infants was increased in comparison with follicles of normal infants. Also, the height of the follicular epithelium decreased and became flattened. Colloidal material nearly fills the follicular lumina and was intensely stained by eosin and periodic acid Schiff. The cytohistochemical parameters of thyroid gland were decreased [total protein, nucleic acids and glycoproteins]. Both alkaline and acid phosphomonoesterases activities were decreased. Such structural and enzymatic alterations of the thyroid gland may imply considerable malfunction in protein- energy malnutrition

Diet and pancreas

The effect of low protein diet on pancreatic function was investigated in two experimental groups of weaning male Sprague-Dawley rats, 30 each. They were followed for 3 months and were fed ad libitum diets containing 20% and 50% casein for the control and low-protein groups, respectively. Ten rats from each group were sacrificed every month and pancreatic weights were measured. Histological and histochemical changes together with enzymatic pattern of pancreases were investigated. Low-protein fed group showed a reduction in absolute pancreatic weights all over the periods of the experiment. Acini of the pancreas of this group showed a diminution in size, loss of their tight packing inside lobules as well as poor staining of the nuclei and cytoplasm of acinar cells. Both acinar and islet cells of the same group showed a decrease in total protein, RNA contents and alkaline phosphatase activity, while acid phosphatase activity increased. Also, degranulation of islet cells cytoplasm was detected. These changes pointed to hypofunction of exocrine and endocrine portions of pancreas in malnourished rats