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Abstract Aim: the aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effect of curcumin on the hypothyroidism induced by potassium dichromate in albino rats. Materials and methods: this study included 35 adult wistar male rats, weighted 160-200 gram and subdivided into five groups, 15 rats in group I and 5 rats in each of group II, III, IV and V. group I (control) was subdivided equally into 3 subgroups. Subgroup Ia: rats received oral corn oil daily for 4 weeks, subgroup Ib: rats received i.p injection of distilled water daily for 2 weeks and subgroup Ic: rats received corn oil concomitant with distilled water daily for 2 weeks then only corn oil was continued for another 2 weeks. group II (curcumin group): rats received curcumin orally through gastric gavage at a dose of 100 mg /kg/bw, dissolved in 2 ml corn oil daily for 4 weeks. group III (hypothyroidism group): rats received i.p injection of potassium dichromate at a dose of 2 mg/kg/bw, dissolved in 1 ml distilled water daily for 2 weeks. group IV (recovery group): rats received potassium dichromate in the same dose and route as in group III daily for 2 weeks and left untreated for another 2 weeks then sacrificed. group V (prophylactic group): rats received curcumin concomitant with potassium dichromate in the same dose and route as in group II and III respectively for 2 weeks and only curcumin treatment was continued for another 2 weeks. All groups were sacrificed after 4 weeks except group III and subgroup Ib that were sacrificed together after 2 weeks only. Before sacrifice tail vein blood samples were taken from all rats to perform thyroid function test (free T3, free T4 and TSH). The collected thyroid glands were divided into 2 lobes. The left lobes were processed for preparation of toluidine blue stained semithin sections while the right lobes were processed for light microscopic study using H&E stain, PAS stain and PCNA immunostaining. Morphometric and statistical studies were also done |