The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of altered thyroid status on 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD type 1) and type 2 (11beta-HSD type 2) bioactivity in rat kidney and colon. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250 g) were treated with either L-thyroxine (T4) or propylthiouracil (PTU) for 4 weeks. Blood were then analysed for serum thyroxine, sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+). The kidneys and colon were assayed for 11beta-HSD type 1 and 11beta-HSD type 2 bioactivity. In T4 treated rats the serum thyroxine was significantly elevated (p<0.05) whilst PTU decreased serum thyroxine significantly (p<0.001) compared to controls. Serum Na+ and K+ were within normal limits. There were no significant changes in 11beta-HSD type 1 bioactivity in both treatment groups compared to controls. However, the 11beta-HSD type 2 bioactivity in rats given thyroxine was significantly higher in the colon (p<0.003) compared to controls. We conclude that altered thyroid status had no effect on 11beta-HSD type 1 bioactivity but 11beta-HSD type 2 bioactivity was elevated in the colon of rats given supplementary thyroxine.
Daily intramuscular injection with thyroxine (T4) at a dose of 2.5 micrograms/100 g body weight decreased the larvae and adult worm burden of Parastrongylus malaysiensis in the brain and pulmonary arteries of male Sprague-Dawley albino rats. In contrast, rats treated with propyl thiouracil (PTU), an antithyroid drug, at a dose of 3.75 mg/100 g body weight retained greater numbers of larvae and adult worms. The results may reflect the contrasting immunomodulatory effects of T4 and PTU that influence the susceptibility of the host.
The taste and food preferences in children can affect their food intake and body weight. Bitter and sweet taste sensitivities were identified as primary taste contributors to children's preference for consuming various foods. This pilot study aimed to determine the taste sensitivity and preference for bitter and sweet tastes in a sample of Malaysian children. A case-control study was conducted among 15 pairs of Malay children aged 7 to 12 years. Seven solutions at different concentrations of 6-n-propylthiouracil and sucrose were prepared for testing bitterness and sweet sensitivity, respectively. The intensity of both bitter and sweet sensitivity was measured using a 100 mm Labelled Magnitude Scale (LMS), while the taste preference was rated using a 5-point Likert scale. The participants were better at identifying bitter than sweet taste (median score 6/7 vs. 4/7). No significant differences were detected for both tastes between normal-weight and overweight groups (bitter: 350 vs. 413, p = 0.273; sweet: 154 vs. 263, p = 0.068), as well as in Likert readings (bitter 9 vs. 8: p = 0.490; sweet 22 vs. 22: p = 0.677). In this sample of Malay children, the participants were more sensitive to bitterness than sweetness, yet presented similar taste sensitivity and preference irrespective of their weight status. Future studies using whole food samples are warranted to better characterize potential taste sensitivity and preference in children.
Antithyroid drugs have been used for more than 50 years for the management of hyperthyroidism. Most patients tolerate treatment well, but some may develop rare life threatening side effects such as agranulocytosis and aplastic anaemia. Clinical experience with the latter condition is extremely limited. We report on a case of carbimazole-induced aplastic anaemia caused by hypocellular bone marrow and associated plasmacytosis in a thyrotoxic patient chronically treated with carbimazole. This resolved after substitution with propylthiouracil. The clinical course was complicated by neutropaenic septicaemia and atrial fibrillation.
Study site: University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hypokalemic thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a potentially life-threatening complication of hyperthyroidism, defined by 3 characteristic features: thyrotoxicosis, hypokalemia, and acute painless muscle weakness. In this case, a 25-year-old Malaysian man presented with acute, painless lower extremity weakness immediately after a meal. His associated symptoms included palpitations, tremor, and anxiety. He also reported a 30-pound unintentional weight loss over the previous 18 months, dyspnea on exertion, and insomnia.
Matched MeSH terms: Propylthiouracil/therapeutic use