The concerted effects of thyroid function and dietary protein on growth and protein metabolism in mice at different growth stages.

Abstract

The effects of thyroxine (T4) and thiouracil (TU) on growth and protein metabolism were examined in male mice given diets containing different levels of protein (casein) at two different growth stages (25 and 60 days old). Changes in protein metabolism were assessed from the expiratory 14CO2 from [U-14C]leucine injected, the liver nucleic acid contents and the rates of synthesis and degradation of liver protein estimated by single injection method using [6-14C]arginine. Each mouse, excluding the control group, received daily intraperitoneal injection of 10 micrograms of L-thyroxine sodium salt per 100 g b.w. (T4 group) or were given a diet containing 0.05% 2-thiouracil (TU group). In the 25-day-old mice, growth of the T4 group was accelerated at protein levels above 15% and that of the TU group was severely retarded at protein levels below 10%. On the other hand, in the 60-day-old mice, growth of the TU group tended to be accelerated at protein levels from 10% to 25%, while it was significantly retarded at the 5%-protein level. The expiratory 14CO2 increased when the growth was retarded, and decreased when growth was accelerated by T4 or TU in both age groups, but was not significant in either case. The nucleic acid content of the liver was increased by both T4 and TU when the dietary protein level was above 15%. The rate of protein synthesis was increased, but not significantly, by T4, while it was not affected by TU. The rate of protein degradation was increased, but not significantly, by TU, while it was not affected by T4 in the 25-day-old mice. In the 60-day-old mice, the rates of both liver-protein synthesis and degradation were significantly increased by TU, while they were not affected by T4. These results definitely indicate that the growth stage and the dietary protein level change the effects of thyroid function on growth protein metabolism of mice.