Abstract
Background This study was performed to evaluate the anti-hyperthyroidal effects and action mechanism of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SB), a medicinal herb, on levothyroxine (LT4)-induced hyperthyroidal rats. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups, namely, euthyroidal normal group (Normal), hyperthyroidism control group (Control), hyperthyroidism plus PTU-treated group (PTU) as a positive control, hyperthyroidism plus 400 mg/kg SB-treated group (SB400), and hyperthyroidism plus 800 mg/kg SB-treated group (SB800). The rats in groups other than Normal were injected with LT4 for 2 weeks to induce hyperthyroidism and then were administrated each treatment for 2 weeks. Clinical symptoms and biomarkers related to hyperthyroidism were examined, and the gene expressions related to the regulation of thyroid hormone were determined. Results Compared with the Control group, pulse rate, serum T3, T4, triglyceride, thyroid follicle size, and the deiodinase 1 (Dio1) gene expression were significantly reduced in the SB and PTU groups. Serum TSH and the thyroxine-binding globulin (Tbg) gene expression were significantly increased in the SB and PTU groups. Conclusions These results suggest that SB might suppress T3, T4, and adrenergic activity by modulating Dio1 and Tbg expression, and therefore, SB could be an alternative therapy for hyperthyroidism.
Highlights
Hyperthyroidism is a hypermetabolic condition of thyrotoxicosis resulting from an overproduction of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland [1]
Graves’ disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, manifests the clinical symptoms of goiter, palpitation, sweating, weight loss, and ophthalmopathy and laboratory findings of increased levels of T3, T4, and TSH receptor antibody and decreased TSH [2]. e cause of Graves’ disease is that when MHC class II is demonstrated in the epithelial cell of the thyroid, T cells recognize the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) as an extrinsic antigen and create autoantibodies from the B cell [3]. is stimulates the thyroid receptor resulting in a hypersynthesis and secretion of the thyroid hormone [4]. us, for a complete fundamental treatment, the production of autoantibody which stimulates TSH receptors should be suppressed, but this is unavailable in current clinical trials [5]
The body weight of the Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SB) and PTUtreated group (PTU) groups was no different compared to the control group (Control) group (Figure 1(a)). e amount of food intake was examined to determine if the weight loss was due to a decrease in intake
Summary
Hyperthyroidism is a hypermetabolic condition of thyrotoxicosis resulting from an overproduction of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland [1]. In countries like Korea and Japan with high reliance upon antithyroid drugs, where the proportion of drug treatment accounted for 80 to 88 percent of the treatments, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine development of a treatment to supplement or replace the use of antithyroid drugs is desperately needed [8] Today, due to such problems of the commonly used treatments, resistance to antithyroid drugs, and the tedious clinical improvement of these treatments, more patients are willing to cure their disease through herbal remedies in clinical practice [9]. Clinical studies showed that AJBHT reduced the level of thyroid hormone in Graves’ disease patients who were resistant to methimazole (MMI) [12]. We evaluate the anti-hyperthyroidal effects and action mechanism of the Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SB), a main herb of AJBHT, on levothyroxine (LT4)induced hyperthyroidal rats
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
