@Article{, title={THE EFFECTS OF DEXAMETHASONE ON THE HISTOLOGY AND HISTOCHEMISTRY OF THYROID GLAND IN FEMALE RABBITS}, author={Khalida I Shaya خالده ابراهيم شيعا}, journal={IRAQI JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES المجلة العراقية للعلوم الطبية}, volume={9}, number={3}, pages={209-217}, year={2011}, abstract={BackgroundThe adverse effects of corticosteroids are widely recognized but there are few qualitative data on which they adversely act on the tissue of thyroid gland, in this paper we scrutinize how these corticosteroids affect the thyroid tissues.ObjectiveTo investigate the histological and histochemical changes, due to the effects of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, in the thyroid gland of female rabbits using a light microscope.MethodsTwo groups, each one with seven female rabbits were used in this study. The control group received 0.9% saline solution intramuscularly and the treated group received a daily intramuscular injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (1.5 mg/kg b.w.) for 15 days, the thyroid glands obtained from these animals were dehydrated, cleared and embedded in paraffin and then sectioned and stained by Haematoxylline and Eosine and histochemically were stained by periodic acid- Schiff reagent, periodic acid- Schiff reagent with enzyme diastase, Toludine blue and Masson′s trichrome.ResultsMarked changes were observed in the thyroid glands treated with dexamethasone. Histolgically, these changes include a decrease in the height of the follicular cells to become low cuboidal and even squamous, and the follicles distended with colloid accumulation. These changes affected both central as well as peripheral follicles. Histochemically, the thyroid follicles showed a low positive reaction to glycoprotein which might indicate a decrease in the activity of the follicular cells of dexamethasone treated thyroid glands.ConclusionDexamethasone causes morphological changes in the thyroid gland consistent with a decrease in thyroid activity and is considered as side effects of this drug.Key words: Dexamethasone, histochemistry of thyroid gland, rabbits

} }