Impact of Digoxin on Endocrine Glands in Male Rats

Abstract

This study is performed to provide the pathological changes of thyroid gland, pancreas and adrenal gland
that occurred due to exposure to the digoxin drug. The study uses twenty four adult male rat randomly
divided into 3 equal groups as follows: G1 control group treated with distilled water, G2 dosed with 0.3mg/
kg digoxin and G3 dosed with 0.9mg/kg digoxin given orally by gavage daily for 60 days. All animals were
sacrificed at the end of experiment and organs were collected in 10% buffered formalin for histopathological
evaluation. Result reveals dilation of thyroid follicles with flattened follicular epithelium which increase
with high dose group digoxin in comparison with control. Adrenal gland showed moderate atrophy of
cortical layers especially zona reticularis with hyperplasia of medulla cells probably of digoxin like ouabainproducing cells, on the other hands pancreas doesn’t reveal remarkable changes except congestion of vessels
in high dose group compared to control.