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Anti‐thyroid drugs decrease mucosal damage in a rat model of experimental colitis
Author(s) -
OREN R.,
MAARAVI Y.,
KARMELI F.,
KENET G.,
ZEIDEL L.,
HUBERT A.,
ELIAKIM R.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1997.127299000.x
Subject(s) - propylthiouracil , medicine , thyroid , colitis , endocrinology , hormone , antithyroid agent , lesion , myeloperoxidase , inflammation , graves' disease , pathology
Background : Methimazole, an anti‐thyroid drug, was recently found to be useful in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. Moreover, decreased thyroid hormone production is associated with a variety of immunological manifestations, such as reduced activation of CD4 + cells, increased CD8 + cell activity and reduced soluble IL‐2 receptors. In the present study we examined the effects of methimazole and propylthiouracil on a rat model of experimental colitis. Methods : Colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of 30 mg trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNB). Two weeks prior to induction of colitis, rats were treated by either methimaziole (0.04%) or propylthiouracil (0.01%) in drinking water after a week of free access to water. Rats were sacrificed 48 h or 7 days after induction of colitis. The colon was isolated, rinsed with ice‐cold water and weighed. Damage was assessed both macroscopically and microscopically and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity determined. Results : All treated rats were hypothyroid as manifested by a significant elevation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), by comparison with the control groups (mean ‐1.82±0.40 versus 0.11±0.02 mmol/L, respectively). The inflammatory response elicited by TNB resulted in severe mucosal damage 48 h after damage induction, which persisted for 7 days. Pre‐treatment with either methimazole 0.04% or propylthiouracil 0.01% significantly decreased mucosal damage macroscopically (lesion area, lesion score and segmental weight) microscopically and also significantly decreased MPO level at both time points ( P <0.01). Conclusions : Methimazole and propylthiouracil significantly reduce mucosal damage and colonic weight in a rat model of colitis. The mode by which they do so remains to be studied.