ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Effect of Zinc-Selenium Green Tea
(Camellia sinensis) on Thyroid Function
in Male Rats After Long-Term
Exposure to Nonylphenol
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1
School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou
2
Division of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Laiyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
Laiyang, Shandong
Submission date: 2023-12-25
Final revision date: 2024-03-07
Acceptance date: 2024-04-18
Online publication date: 2024-08-05
Corresponding author
Jie Yu
School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou
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ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to determine whether chronic exposure to nonylphenol (NP) at
environmental concentration would have toxic effects on thyroid function and thyroid hyperplasia
disease and whether zinc-selenium green tea has a protective effect on thyroid damage induced by NP
in male rats. B-ultrasound revealed that there were thyroid nodules in both the zinc-selenium green
tea group and the NP group. The group exposed to NP showed irregular follicle shapes, an increased
number of small follicles, and increased follicular epithelial thickness. The epithelial thickness of the
tea groups was significantly lower than that of the NP group (H = 38.85, P≤0.001). Exposure to NP
could induce the increased protein levels of ERα, ERβ, TRα, and TRβ in thyroid tissues. The expression
of ERα (F = 20.75, P≤0.001), ERβ (F = 32.32, P≤0.001), TRα (F = 13.81, P≤0.001), and TRβ (F = 13.92,
P≤0.001) proteins in the zinc-selenium green tea group was decreased compared with that in the NP
group. Chronic NP exposure could cause pathological damage to the thyroid tissue. Zinc selenium tea
could provide protective effects for the thyroid damage caused by NP.