Therapeutic effect of oleanolic acid on hyperthyroid rats through TLR4/NF-κB pathway

Hyperthyroidism is primarily characterised by excessive secretion of thyroid hormones and abnormal proliferation of thyroid follicular cells. Graves' disease is the most prevalent and is classified as an autoimmune thyroid disorder. However, as a typical triterpenoid compound, the mechanism of oleanolic acid in treating hyperthyroidism remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of oleanolic acid on hyperthyroidism.The rats were divided into six groups. During the experiment, the body weight of the rats was measured weekly, and their clinical signs were monitored daily. After the administration was completed, the changes in various indicators of the rats were detected through ELISA, HE staining, immunohistochemistry, TUNEL assay, and Western blot experiments.After treatment with methimazole or oleanolic acid, it was found that the rats' body weight increased, their clinical symptoms returned to normal basically, the pathological damage of the thyroid tissue in hyperthyroid rats was significantly reduced, and the adverse effects were also reversed. Furthermore, LPS treatment can reverse the therapeutic effect of oleanolic acid on hyperthyroidism in rats.Oleanolic acid could regulate hormone levels and alleviate oxidative stress in rats with hyperthyroidism by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.