Reactive Intermediates of Xenobiotics in Thyroid

The formation of reactive intermediates from xenobiotics in thyroid and their potential toxic effects on the organ have received only very little attention up to now. At first glance this appears surprising, as numerous chemicals have been shown to be capable of inducing thyroid tumours in experimental animals. The lack of interest in the fate of these chemicals in thyroid is largely the consequence of the current theory of thyroid follicular cell carcinogenesis which centers on perturbations of the hormonal regulatory system which are caused by many thyroid carcinogens (Hill et al. 1989, Thomas and Williams 1991).