Effect of Curcumin on the Thyroid Gland and the Plasticity of Inguinal Adipose Tissue in Experimental Model of Hypothyroidism in Rat: Histological Study

Abstract

Obesity is considered as an accelerating worldwide health crisis associated with many co-morbidities as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Moreover, it is closely related to hypothyroidism. Mild thyroid dysfunction even in the form of subclinical hypothyroidism is linked to significant changes in body weight and represents a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Adipose tissues are characterized by the ability of trans-differentiation. That is under certain conditions fully differentiated white adipocytes can trans-differentiate into brown-like adipocytes and vice versa. These brown like adipocytes are thermo-genic sites and consequently aid in weight loss. Curcumin is a naturally compound that is well known by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic as well as hypoglycemic activities. Moreover, Curcumin is regarded as a potentially protecting agent against obesity through different mechanisms including induction of browning of white adipocytes. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on the structure of the thyroid gland and the inguinal adipose tissue of a hypothyroid rat model.