Impact of nitrate intake in drinking water on the thyroid gland activity in male rat

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of nitrate on both the activity of the thyroid gland and other biological parameters. After 5-month treatment, nitrate 150 and 500mg/l induced a significant decrease in the serum level of thyroid hormone T3. For T4, the 500mg/l dose only reduced its plasma level. On the other hand, nitrate induced a dose-dependent increase in the weight of the thyroid gland. The histological study of the thyroid gland shows vacuolisation and an increase in the size of the follicles accompanied by a flatness of follicular epithelium with nitrate 150 and 500mg/l. We concluded that the presence of high concentrations of nitrate in drinking water influence the growth, induce morpho-functional modifications of the thyroid gland and might be considered as a goitrigenic factor. © 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.