Iodine concentration and signs of apoptosis in the thyroid and pituitary of female rats after different single doses of potassium iodide.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to study the content of iodine as well as the expression of caspase 8 and caspase 32 in the thyroid and anterior pituitary in rats after a single dose of iodide. METHODS: A total of 49 inbred rat females weighing 250-300 g at the stage of diestrus and/or metestrus were used. Pituitaries and thyroids were dissected from 15 control rats and from the groups of 8 rats each given potassium iodide by gavage in doses of 1, 4, 8 and 25 µg/100 g at 48 h before sacrifice. In two rats of each group the level of iodine in thyroids and pituitaries was estimated in terms of weight percent of iodide in dry tissue (wt % I-2/dry tissue) using the wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) quantitative analysis. The expression of caspase 8 and caspase 32 in thyroids and pituitaries in terms of the percentage of positive immunostained area (% PA) was measured by streptavidin-biotin method using specific polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS; In the thyroids, iodine concentration increased after 1 µg/100 g, but decreased after 8 and 25 µg/100 g, while that in the pituitaries significantly increased after all doses of iodide with the peak after 8 mg/100 g. After the same iodide dose also the peak of caspase 32 and caspase 8 appeared in the pituitary. However, in the thyroid only increased caspase 32 was found together with a decrease of iodine concentration. CONCLUSION: Several interrelations between iodine in the thyroid and pituitary were found. In addition, the signs of apoptosis appeared directly related to the concentration of iodine in the pituitary, but inversely related to iodine concentration in the thyroid.

Expression of NIS in the thyroid and pituitary of female rats after a single dose of potassium iodide.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to study the expression of NIS in the thyroid and anterior pituitary in rats after a single dose of iodide appropriate to the content of iodide in iodine-positive points in the thyroid and pituitary. METHODS: A total of 41 inbred rat females of local laboratory strain weighing 250-300 g at the stage of diestrus and/or metestrus were used. Pituitaries and thyroids were dissected from 15 control rats at the same time as these from four groups of 6-8 rats each which were given various doses of potassium iodide dissolved in 0.5 ml distilled water (6 rats - 1 µg/100 g body weight; 8 rats - 4 µg/100 g ; 6 rats - 8 µg/100 g ; 6 rats - 25 µg/100 g.) by gavage at 48 h before sacrifice. In 6 rats of control group the concentration of iodine in thyroids and pituitaries was estimated in terms of percent by weight in dry tissue (wt% I-2 dry tissue) using the wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) quantitative analysis. The expression of NIS in thyroids and pituitaries in terms of the percentage of positive immunostained area (% PA) was measured by streptavidin-biotin method using specific polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS: In thyroids, the concentration of iodine in iodine-positive points ranged from 2.5 to 59.3 (mean of 16.7±3.0) in terms of wt% I-2 dry tissue (100 % iodine-positive points), while in pituitaries it ranged from 0.17 to 6.3 (mean of 1.4±0.3) in all points and 2.2±0.4 in iodine-positive points. Histochemical reaction for NIS in the pituitaries at 48 hours after iodide administration showed a dose related increase beginning from 4 µg/100 g (from 1.8±0.7 to 12.9±1.0 % PA, respectively to the dose of iodide), while such increase in the thyroids started from 8 µg/100g (from 3.7±1.2 to 9.1±2.0 % PA). It remained still increased in pituitaries after the dose of 8 µg/100g (11.4±1.0 % PA) and 25 µg/100g (13.9±1.5 % PA), while such increase in thyroids was found only after the dose of 25 µg/100g (11.9±2.8 % PA). CONCLUSION: It was found that in the pituitaries of rat females the expression of NIS started after the dose of 4 µg iodide/100g, while that in the thyroids started after 8 µg iodide/100g. Thus, it may be suggested that the pituitary appears more susceptible to the level of iodide in blood.

[Leber's hereditary optic atrophy: neurological and other non-optic appearances]. / Nasledstvennaia atrofiia zritel'nykh nervov Lebera: nevrologicheskie i drugie vneglaznye proiavleniia.

Comparing to other mitochondrial diseases, multisystemic lesions in Leber's hereditary optic atrophy (LHOA) occur less frequently. However, in some cases there are concomitant manifestations, especially neurological ones. Out of thirteen patients examined in the study, 5 exhibited MRI-detected neurological symptoms and changes, which may have concern to the underlying disease, namely LHOA caused by 11778A mutation. Literature and author's own data on neurological spectrum of LHOA and its possible relation to multiple sclerosis are summarized. A rare combination of LHOA caused by 14484C mutation and diabetes mellitus, described first-ever in the present study, is emphasized.

[Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy: DNA-diagnosis and clinico-genetic comparisons in 12 families]. / Nasledstvennaia atrofiia zritel'nykh nervov Leber: DNK-diagnostika i kliniko-geneticheskie sopostavleniia v 12 sem'iakh.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a worldwide spread neuro-ophthalmologic disease characterized by immediate pronounced visual reduction with a picture of retrobulbar neuritis, following by optic atrophy. The disease is caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations. Molecular genetic structure of 12 families, including 26 LHON patients, 13 of them being examined, is presented. All of the main primary mutations have been found: the most frequent 11778A (in 10 families), 3460A and 14484C (each in 1 family). In 5 families, the disease was clearly hereditary. Men predominated among the patients, that indicated a reduction of the gene penetrance in women. The most frequent age at the disease onset is 18-25 years. Clinico-genealogical LHON mechanisms correlate with mutation type. Molecular genetic mechanisms of the disease and possible environmental factors, influencing the gene penetrance, are discussed.