CHANGES IN BCL-2 MARKER EXPRESSION IN THYROID TISSUE UNDER POLYPHARMACY INDUCED BY ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS
Keywords:
thyroid gland, polypharmacy, anti-inflammatory drugs, Bcl-2, immunohistochemistry, apoptosis, thyrocytes, QuPath.Abstract
The present study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of the Bcl-2 marker in the thyroid tissue of outbred white rats under conditions of polypharmacy induced by anti-inflammatory drugs. The experimental animals were divided into a control group and groups exposed to combinations of two, three, or four anti-inflammatory drugs. Bcl-2 expression in thyroid tissue samples was determined using the DAB chromogen method, and the resulting microscopic images were subjected to digital analysis using QuPath 0.4.0 software. In the control group, the mean percentage of Bcl-2-positive expression was 4.68%. This value decreased to 3.65% in the group receiving two drugs, to 2.20% in the group receiving three drugs, and to 0.71% following exposure to four drugs. The findings demonstrate a progressive decrease in the anti-apoptotic protection of thyroid cells with an increasing number of anti-inflammatory drugs administered concomitantly. These changes may be used as an immunohistochemical criterion for assessing cellular injury and susceptibility to apoptosis in thyroid tissue under conditions of polypharmacy.
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