THE INFLUENCE OF THIOURACIL ON THE RESPONSES OF SERUM PROTEIN AND SERUM CALCIUM OF THE IMMATURE PULLET TO ESTROGEN, WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE RESPONSES OF OVIDUCT, LIVER, AND KIDNEY

Abstract

Thiouracil at a level of 0.75% of the diet depressed the serum calcium and serum protein levels of sexually immature pullets that had received 0.5 mgm. estradiol benzoate (ODB) intramuscularly each day for nine days or 14 days. When the level of estrogen dosage was raised to 1.0 mgm. ODB each day, then in one experiment thiouracil did not appreciably affect the responses of serum calcium and serum protein at nine days but did enchance both responses at 14 days. In a second experiment thiouracil again exerted a depressant effect on responses of serum calcium and serum protein at nine days but this effect had disappeared at 14 days. Thiouracil tended in both experiments to reduce the serum protein level in unestrogenized pullets. The effects of thiouracil on responses of serum calcium and serum protein are dependent, therefore, on both the level and duration of estrogen treatment. Thiouracil did not modify the effect of either 0.5 mgm. or 1.0 mgm. ODB per diem on oviduct weight. Estrogen increased liver weight per kgm. live weight and liver protein per kgm. live weight and thiouracil produced similar effects. These effects of estrogen and thiouracil were approximately additive. Estrogen increased kidney weight per kgm. live weight. Thiouracil increased kidney weight per kgm. live weight both of itself and in presence of estrogen. Kidney protein per kgm. live weight was affected by thiouracil and by estrogen in the same ways as was kidney weight.