Influence of cyclosporine A on thyroid function in the experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) in mice

We have examined the influence of cyclosporine A (CsA) on thyroid gland function during development of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) in CBA (H-2k) mice, delivering the agent in different regimens and doses, either as commercial intravenous preparation or encapsulated into liposomes. The evaluation of autoimmunity was done by the assessment of serum concentration of thyroxine (T4). We showed that a high dose CsA (360 mg/kg) prevented the development of thyroid deficiency whereas a small dose (25-60 mg/kg) potentiated the decrease of T4 serum level. Moreover, we found that the same dose of CsA enclosed in liposomes and of its commercial preparation can have different effect on T4 level in mice with EAT.