Pathological Studies on Ovaries, Thyroid Glands and Hypophyses of Rabbits Following Administration of Sulfadimethoxine

Sulfadimethoxine(SDM) 투여(投與) 가토(家兎)의 난소(卵巢), 갑상선(甲狀腺) 및 뇌하수체(雷下垂體)에 관한 병리학적(病理學的) 연구(硏究)

In order to investigate the effects and acting mechanism on ovaries, thyroid glands and hypophyses of rabbits in short term administration of sulfadimethoxine (SDM) as medical dose, a total of 90 virgin albino rabbits (mean body weight, 1,362g) were selected at random and alloted to two groups. Rabbits in one group served as controls and the others were administered SDM of 50 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks, and then reared without medication for 4 weeks. Pathological changes of the three organs were observed each week for 9 weeks and the results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Mean body weights of both groups manifested slow increasing tendency but mean hypophysis weights fluctuated throughout the experimental term. Mean ovary weights of experiments were decreased significantly from the 3rd to 6th week but mean thyroid weights of experiments were increased significantly from the 1st to 6th week compared with those of controls. 2. Many ovarian follicles of each developing stage showed follicular atresia accompanying atrophy or necrosis of oocytes and of disintegrated follicular cells. Theca interna cells and sudanophilic interstitial cells showed atrophy and diminished sudanophilic granules and also liquor folliculi were diminished. These changes icreased from the 1st week, remaining so for 5 weeks and returned to normal status in the 8th or 9th week. 3. The thyroid gland showed a typical hyperplastic goiter. Hypertrophic and hyperplastic epithelia follicular manifested cuboidal or columnar form showing tiny or small vacuoles in cytoplasm. The follicles showed atrophy and decreasing colloidal materials. Necrotic and regenerative changes were also present. The interfollicular vessels showed congestion and hemorrhage. These changes increased from the 1st week, remaining so for 5 weeks and returned to normal status in the 9th week. 4. The rates of differential cell counts of hypophyses revealed increase of basophils (gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs) and decrease of chromophobes. Basophils which had diminished granules stainable with HE, PAS and AF revealed hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and increasing of tiny or small vacuoles in cytoplasm. These changes increased from the 1st week, remaining so for 5 weeks and returned to normal status in the 8th or 9th week. As summarized above histologically, administration of SDM led thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs of pituitary glands to hyperactivity but revealed retrogressive and compensatory changes with functional disturbance in ovaries and thyroid glands. These changes were transitional and attributed to direct actions of the drugs on the ovaries and thyroid glands.