Structure and function of thyroid follicular cells in female rats chronically exposed to cadmium

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) was administered for 12 months to female rats in drinking water at the concentration of 5 and 50 mg/l, and its effect on the structure and functions of the thyroid follicular cells was assessed. The function of the follicular cells was evaluated by measuring the levels of serum thyroid hormones such as T3 and T4, and TSH. The structure of these cells was assessed under a light microscope. Cd, in spite of its low accumulation in the thyroid, damaged dose-dependently the structure and function of the thyroid follicular cells. At the exposure to 5 mg Cd/l, changes in their structure, but not in the function, were observed. However, the intoxication with 50 mg Cd/l led to both structural and functional damage. Our findings seem to suggest that people exposed to Cd can be at a risk of thyroid damage.