Thyroid C cells in male and female rats with chronic renal failure.

The kidneys are responsible for iodine and of thyroid hormone biodegradation. The aim of this study was the histomorphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of the influence of sex on parafollicular thyroid C cells in rats with chronic renal failure. The experiment included 40 Wistar rats after subtotal nephrectomy, after sham operation, and without any surgical procedure. Two weeks after nephrectomy, fragments of thyroids were collected from the examined animals. Paraffin sections were stained with H+E and by silver impregnation. Calcitonin (CT), synaptophysin (SPh), somatostatin (ST), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected immunohistochemically in C cells. In rats with experimental uremia, immunostaining for the examined substances increased significantly in comparison to the controls. We also observed higher number of C cells with a stronger reaction in the group of males, compared to the female rats.