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Horm Metab Res 2014; 46(10): 710-716
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1370962
Endocrine Research
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Effect of Thyroidectomy and Propylthiouracil-Induced Hypothyroidism on Insulin Secretion in Male Rats

A. Godini
1   Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
A. Ghasemi
2   Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3   Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
N. Karbalaei
1   Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
S. Zahediasl
2   Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3   Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 22 October 2013

accepted 12 February 2014

Publication Date:
13 March 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Data available on thyroid dysfunction and insulin secretion are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of hypothyroidism on insulin secretion, in vivo and in vitro, in rats. Adult Wistar male rats were divided into 4 groups, the control, the propylthiouracyl (PTU)-treated hypothyroid, the surgically thyroidectomized, and the sham-operated thyroidectomized. After 5 weeks, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was performed and 3 weeks later pancreatic islets were isolated to assess glucose induced insulin secretion and insulin content. Fasting serum glucose and insulin levels did not differ between the groups, but serum glucose concentration during IVGTT in the PTU-induced hypothyroid group was significantly higher as compared to controls, throughout 5–60 min. The serum glucose concentration during IVGTT in the thyroidectomized rats was also significantly higher than in the sham-operated ones, except at 10 and 60 min. The area under the curve of the serum insulin was significantly lower during IVGTT in the PTU-treated (10 010±1 380 pmol/l/60 min) and thyroidectomized (13 930±2 786) groups vs. their comparable groups (19 150±2 110), p<0.01 and (20 650±1 601), p<0.05, respectively. In the PTU-treated, but not in thyroidectomized animals, insulin secretion in response to glucose 8.3 and 16.7 mM was significantly lower than their comparable group. The results show that PTU- and thyroidectomy-induced hypothyroidism leads to impaired glucose tolerance due to reduced glucose stimulated insulin secretion. Islets insulin secretion is positively correlated with serum T3 and T4 concentrations.

Key words

thyroid hormones - glucose tolerance - pancreatic islets
 

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