The effect of iodide depletion and supplementation in the Buffalo strain rat.

We have investigated the effect of excess iodide alone, following iodide depletion or in conjunction with a mild thyroid insult (trypan blue) in Buffalo strain rats, which are genetically susceptible to experimental autoimmune thyroiditis. In all three cases a high iodine diet led to enhanced thyroglobulin antibody production, usually accompanied by worsening of the severity of thyroiditis. Moreover, the administration of a normal iodine diet after iodide depletion resulted in thyroglobulin antibody formation. These results provide further support for a role for dietary iodine in modulating experimental autoimmune thyroiditis with implications for human thyroid autoimmunity.