Table 4.
Histomorphometrical changes in the LT4 and test materials-treated rats.
| Groups | Thyroid gland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean diameters | follicular lining epithelium thickness | Mean diameters of follicle | Liver cell counts | Epididymal adipocyte mean diameters | |
| (mm/central region) | (μm/follicle) | (μm/follicle) | (Nuclei numbers/mm2 of liver) | (μm/adipocyte) | |
| Controls | |||||
| Intact | 3.01 ± 0.24 | 24.33 ± 2.94 | 151.17 ± 20.99 | 366.38 ± 33.42 | 164.29 ± 23.65 |
| LT4 | 1.92 ± 0.13a | 5.29 ± 1.48a | 155.01 ± 17.62 | 629.00 ± 108.15d | 48.19 ± 7.85d |
| Reference | |||||
| PTU 10 mg/kg | 2.49 ± 0.29ac | 13.91 ± 2.10ac | 153.53 ± 11.00 | 446.13 ± 51.10df | 96.79 ± 21.86df |
| BR treated | |||||
| 300 mg/kg | 2.75 ± 0.22bc | 17.54 ± 1.97ac | 152.47 ± 11.15 | 418.13 ± 29.22ef | 142.03 ± 13.66ef |
| 150 mg/kg | 2.51 ± 0.19ac | 13.89 ± 2.60ac | 154.26 ± 10.30 | 445.25 ± 40.83df | 119.79 ± 15.71df |
| 75 mg/kg | 2.27 ± 0.23ac | 8.90 ± 1.12ac | 159.10 ± 11.39 | 499.75 ± 28.94df | 90.81 ± 11.91df |
Values are expressed mean ± S.D. of eight rats. BR: aqueous Bupleuri Radix extracts; LT4: levothyroxine; PTU: propylthiouracil; MDA: malondialdehyde; GSH: glutathione; SOD: superoxide dismutase. a P < 0.01, and b P < 0.05 as compared with intact control by LSD test; c P < 0.01 as compared with LT4 control by LSD test; d P < 0.01 and e P < 0.05 as compared with intact control by MW test; f P < 0.01 as compared with LT4 control by MW test.