PPAR-gamma receptor mediated severe thyroid toxicity in mice

Pioglitazone a synthetic ligand of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-Y (PPAR-Y) is currently used in the treatment of type-2 diabetes as an efficient insulin sensitizer. The aim of this study was to establish a Pre-clinical experimental setting to investigate the possible link between prolong use of PPAR-Y agonist and development of thyroid carcinoma in swiss albino mice. Mice were treated with 75 mg/kg body weight of Pioglitazone for four and twelve weeks. As a result, under Light microscopy thyroid carcinoma were observed as four distinct pathways of oncogenesis in form of four lineages after twelve weeks of treatment. Under Electron microscopy after four weeks of treatments had shown only cellular injury and hydropic degenarations but after twelve weeks had shown necrotic oncosis. The level of TSH in Serum were severely elevated after twelve weeks of treatment. Thus, chronic consumption of pioglitazone was not seemed to be safe and had been provided sufficient stimulus to induce carcinogenicity in thyroid gland of mice.