Effect of red snapper fish intake on pyramidal cells in hypothyroidic rat brain model

Abstract

Congenital hypothyroidism in infants results from partial or complete loss of thyroid glands, resulting in thyroid hormone deficiency. The untreated low thyroid hormone levels induce impairment in the maturation of the developing brain by regulating neurogenesis. Proper treatment in the specific onset timing and duration have shown to increase the chances of brain recovery. In this study, we examined the effect of daily intake of red snapper fish to improve the profile of brain cerebrum on hypothyroidic rat model, particularly on the number and distribution of pyramidal cells. Hypothyroid pups were produced by propylthiouracil induced female rats during pregnancy from E14 until P21. The rats were randomly divided into four groups, which include negative (congenital hypothyroidism) and positive control (thyroxine therapy) as well as red snapper-enriched diet at dosage 25% and 50%. After four weeks treatments, the rats were dissected and brain sections were made using paraffin embedding and hematoxylin-eosin staining to observe pyramidal cell numbers and distribution in cell layer III of the cerebral cortex. The result showed that the consumption of 50% red snapper diet increased the number of pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, parallel to the elevated thyroid hormone levels which was nearly equal to control.