787-792Till date knowledge regarding the effects of
high dietary magnesium on thyroid gland is incomprehensive though
certain epidemiological studies reported development of thyroid gland
dysfunctions in people with chronic exposure
to hard water (especially with high magnesium) despite sufficient iodine
consumption. The present study is to
explore the effects of chronic high dietary magnesium exposure on thyroid
morphology and functional status. Male adult albino
Wistar strain rats were treated with graded doses of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4; 0.5,
1.0 and 1.5 g %) for 60 days and changes in different thyroid parameters were
investigated. Significantly stimulated thyroid peroxidase and Na+–K+-ATPase
and altered idothyronine 5/- deiodinase type I activities, enhanced
serum thyroxine (T4) (both total and free), total triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid
stimulating hormone with decreased free T3 levels and T3/T4 ratio (T3:T4) along
with enlargement of thyroid with associated histopathological changes were
observed in the treated groups. The results clearly
confirm that chronic high dietary magnesium exposure causes potential thyroid
disruption as reported in earlier epidemiological studies.
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