Plasma Thyroxine Levels Research Articles

Thyroidal compensation in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) fed canola meal

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) were fed either a soybean mealbased (SM) or canola meal-based (CM) diet for up to 20 weeks. Plasma thyroxine (T4) and triiodothryonine (T3) levels were significantly lower in the CM-fed fish sampled after 12 weeks. However, there appeared to be some compensation after 12 and 20 weeks in that the thyroid hormone levels in trout fed the CM were not significantly different from those of the SM-fed fish. Nevertheless, there was marked thyroid hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the CM-fed fish sampled at 12, 16 and 20 weeks after commencement of the experiment. Moreover, the growth rate was significantly lower in the CM-fed fish in comparison to the SM-fed fish throughout the 20 week study period.Plasma T4 levels were similar in SM-fed fish sampled 12, 16 and 20 weeks after commencement of the experiment, but plasma T3 levels progressively increased over this period, as did the apparent activity of the thyroid tissue based on histological criteria.Fasting for up to 8 weeks resulted in the arrested growth of the SM-fed fish, and a loss in body weight of the CM-fed animals over the 8 week period of the fast. In addition, the plasma thyroid hormone levels in the fasted fish tended to be lower than in fish fed both the SM and CM diets prior to fasting, and there was histological evidence indicating a reduced activity of the pituitary-thyroid axis. However, thyroid hyperplasia and hypertrophy were still evident in the fasted fish previously fed the CM diet indicating that the adverse affects of CM diets are not completely reversible after 8 weeks.In fish fed the CM diet for 12 weeks and then the SM diet for up to a further 8 weeks (diet C-S) there was a compensatory increase in plasma thyroid hormone levels evident within 4 weeks after the change in diet, but no apparent decrease in thyroid hyperplasia or hypertrophy. In addition, in the fish fed the C-S diet there was a marked compensatory growth rate, and an increased feed: gain ratio; body weights of this group of fish were not significantly different from those of the SM-fed animals after 20 weeks of study, indicating a considerably higher growth rate over the last 8 week period.

Elevated growth hormone levels in stunted Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

Seawater transfer of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) in an early stage of smoltification caused cessation of growth, loss of appetite and eventual death. The fish had high plasma growth hormone levels and decreased plasma thyroxine levels indicating that this abnormal development is similar to stunting of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch) following premature SW transfer. However, the Atlantic salmon also showed severe impairment of hypoosmoregulatory ability, which has not been observed for coho stunts. Atlantic salmon stunts transferred back into fresh water resumed feeding and growth, indicating that stunting is a reversible process caused by exposure of fish to high environmental salinity at an inappropriate stage of development.

Trypanosome-induced depression of plasma thyroxine. Levels in prepubertal and adult female goats.

Changes in plasma T4 levels were investigated in prepubertal and adult female goats during the course of an experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection. A significant decline in the T4 levels was observed within 1 week of trypanosome challenge. The levels remained low up to the end of the 7th weeks when prepubertal goats received a trypanocidal treatment, whereafter the values started to rise to normal pre-infection values. The post-infection plasma T4 values in the untreated adult goats did not return to normal except in one resistant goat which recovered naturally after 16 weeks of the infection. The thyroid glands of chronically infected and untreated adult goats revealed marked atrophy, fibrosis and colloidopathy. It is concluded that trypanosomiasis rapidly impairs thyroid gland function in susceptible animals, but these changes can be reversed by early trypanocidal treatment before marked degenerative changes become evident or following self cure in resistant animals.

Relationship between dietary tyrosine and plasma cholesterol in the rat.

The present study was undertaken to measure the effects of dietary tyrosine added to fish protein and peanut meal on plasma cholesterol and plasma thyroid hormone levels in the rat. These dietary proteins were chosen because they contain similar amounts of tyrosine but release it at different rates during enzymatic hydrolysis. Casein was chosen as the reference protein. Supplementation was used to obtain tyrosine levels similar to that of casein. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed cholesterol-enriched diets containing 15% protein. After 3 weeks of experimental feeding, total postprandial plasma cholesterol was similar in the casein and peanut meal groups and significantly lower in the fish group. When added to the fish diet, tyrosine caused an increase in plasma cholesterol to a level similar to that of the casein group, whereas supplementation had no effect on plasma cholesterol of rats fed the peanut meal diet. The effects of dietary proteins or of tyrosine supplementation on cholesterol levels of the (density less than 1.006 g/mL) lipoprotein fraction were comparable, but not all significant, to those observed on total plasma cholesterol. In addition, casein and fish diets induced significantly higher levels of plasma triiodothyronine (T3) and lower levels of plasma thyroxine (T4) than did the peanut meal diet. However, the addition of tyrosine to the fish or the peanut meal diet did not modify the plasma thyroid hormone levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Flight effects on plasma levels of free fatty acids, growth hormone and thyroid hormones in homing pigeons.

Significant increases in circulating levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and growth hormone (GH), were observed in homing pigeons after a flight of 48 km, lasting 60-80 min. No significant change in plasma levels of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) was observed. Nor was there any change in T3/T4 ratio. The increase in plasma FFA is attributed to the increased release into circulation of at least one adipokinetic hormone, GH. It may be concluded that in free sustained homing flight under normal weather conditions and within the specific distance and duration, metabolic fuel and hormonal homeostasis is maintained.

The influence of short-term 17β-estradiol treatment on plasma T 3 levels and in vitro hepatic T 4 5′-monodeiodinase activity in immature rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

To determine the effects of 17β-estradiol (E 2) on aspects of thyroid function, immature rainbow trout were intraperitoneally injected with estradiol benzoate (0.5 mg/100 g) on Days 0 and 3 and sampled on Days 7 and 12. This protocol created plasma E 2 concentrations during the first 7 days comparable to those during naturally induced vitellogenesis. Control trout received peanut oil alone. Plasma levels of 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T 3) were significantly depressed on Day 7 but returned to control levels by Day 12. Plasma thyroxine (T 4) levels were not altered consistently by E 2 treatment. Hepatic microsomal T 4 5′-monodeiodinase (5′D) activity responsible for conversion of T 4 to T 3 was significantly depressed on Day 7 but returned to control levels by Day 12. Lineweaver-Burke plots showed that the lower hepatic 5′D resulted from a 10-fold decrease in V max, indicating a lower enzyme concentration. A slight reduction in K m was also observed. These results confirm that high E 2 levels, comparable to those in vitellogenesis, depress plasma T 3 levels in trout and show that, at least in part, this effect is the result of a decrease in the amount of functional hepatic 5′D.

Cycles annuels de la testostéronémie et de la thyroxinémie chez Vipera berus L. (Reptilia: Viperidae) en relation avec le cycle sexuel et l'hivernage

AbstractBlood samples were taken in Vipera berus during a five year period. Changes in plasma thyroxine and testosterone levels were examined. Plasma testosterone levels show a marked profile. Highest levels are observed a few weeks after the emergence of hibernation from the end of March till the end of April. These values coincide with the mating period and spring spermiogenesis. Plasma thyroxine levels show also seasonal variations. Low values are observed in winter. Plasma thyroxine levels increase in spring and reach a maximal concentration shortly after the peak of plasma testosterone. A secondary peak is observed at the end of summer.

EFFECTS OF FASTING ON PLASMA THYROXINE (T4) LEVELS AND BODY WEIGHT IN CALVES FED WlTH NORMAL AND LOW ENERGY RATlONS

In order to study the effeets of starvation and energy intake on the metabalism of thyroxine and body weight, two groups of ealves were fed wifh normal and law energy rations (100 % and 50 % of their energy requirement correspondingly). The calves were fasted 7 days following 8 days of feeding and refed with the same rations for 21 days. During the experiment the concentrations of plasnıa thyroxine levels were determined by RIA technique and body weights of the animals were recorded regularly. in the 100 % fed calves, the plasma thyroxine level was decreased on the ist day of fasting (P <0.05). On the other hand in the 50 % fed calves there was an increase (P <0.05) on the 3 rd day of fasting. Fasting had caused a significant drop in the body weight of both groups of animals.

Studies on the reproductive rhythms of fishes. XV. Environmental influences on ovarian acitivty and related hormones in yearling goldfish.

Under natural condition, yearling male goldfish Carassius auratus started regression by late July and completed in August. Then gonadal development commenced and proceeded to milting by October. Spermatogenesis was arrested in winter. However, milting fish appeared again in March. When transferred to 24°C, the male fish matured within a short period at both 12L and 16L in off breeding seasons. However, the minimum time needed for reaching milting was shorter at 16L than at 12L. On both regimes, the spawning stage did not last long but passed to the post-spawning stage. Conversely, males matured and stayed in milting condition at 16°C regardless of photoperiod. The speed of maturation was slower at 16°C than at 24°C regimes. Plasma testosterone levels were high when the fish was maturing or matured but low in immature fish. Plasma gonadotropin levels were more dependent on the water temperature than on the maturation stages. Plasma thyroxine levels did not show clear relationship to the testicular activity at both 16°C and 24°C regimes.

Tissue-specific alterations of de novo fatty acid synthesis in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-treated rats.

De novo fatty acid synthesis was determined by the 3H2O method in numerous tissues and organs of TCDD-treated (125 micrograms/kg), pair-fed and free-fed male Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate if this important pathway of intermediary metabolism is altered by TCDD. Of the 12 tissues and organs examined, liver showed an increased, and interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) a decreased de novo fatty acid synthesis when comparing TCDD-treated to pair-fed or free-fed control rats. De novo fatty acid synthesis was unaffected in other organs and tissues examined, with the exception that the concentration of 3H-fatty acids in plasma reflected the increased rate of synthesis seen in the liver of TCDD-treated animals. Increased de novo fatty acid synthesis in liver coincided with increased plasma triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations, whereas decreased de novo fatty acid synthesis in IBAT parallelled decreased plasma thyroxine (T4) levels. Thyroidectomy decreased de novo fatty acid synthesis, as expected, in both liver and IBAT. However, TCDD elicited no response in either of these organs in thyroidectomized rats. This finding suggests that changes observed in non-thyroidectomized rats are probably secondary effects. Indeed, known tissue-specific effects of T3 on liver and T4 on IBAT provide a likely explanation for the altered de novo fatty acid synthesis of these organs. It is suggested that increased de novo fatty acid synthesis in the liver of TCDD-treated rats might be responsible for the additional wasting away observable in these animals as compared to pair-fed controls.

Response of the interrenal to adrenocorticotropic hormone after short-term thyroxine treatment of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).

The effects of experimentally elevated plasma thyroxine levels on the subsequent response of interrenals of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in vitro were examined. Animals were treated with thyroxine by immersion (200 micrograms/L) for 3 days, which resulted in physiological elevations in circulating thyroxine. In animals treated before the parr-smolt transformation was completed (early smolts), thyroxine had no effect on plasma cortisol levels but significantly enhanced the sensitivity of the interrenal to ACTH in vitro. In animals treated after the period of smoltification (postsmolts), plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher than those of controls; both experimental and control animals had plasma cortisol levels higher than normally observed at this stage of development. The response of the interrenals of thyroxine-treated postsmolts to ACTH in vitro was significantly lower than that of controls. Results from the experiments using early smolts are in agreement with studies in other vertebrates showing that thyroid hormones are involved in maintaining the normal functioning of corticosteroidogenic tissue and suggest that thyroid hormones may be involved in the activation of the interrenal that occurs during smoltification. The results obtained using postsmolts are more difficult to interpret because of the possibility that these animals were physiologically stressed by the treatment. Increased ACTH release in vivo resulting from stress may have led to a depression of interrenal sensitivity to ACTH in vitro and may have masked a refractoriness of the pituitary-interrenal axis to thyroxine.

Effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent hormonal replacement therapy on hormonal and osmoregulatory status of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch

This study investigates the effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent hormone replacement therapy upon the hormonal and osmoregulatory status of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, in 7‰ seawater (SW) and SW. Following hypophysectomy, coho salmon were injected every 2 days for 8 days with thyroxine, growth hormone, and cortisol, alone or in combinations, and sampled 2 days after the final injection. Increased environmental salinity raises plasma sodium, calcium, and magnesium levels, as well as plasma osmolality. Cortisol is hypercalcemic and thyroxine is hypocalcemic in hypophysectomized salmon, but it is unclear whether these effects are due directly to calcium regulation or are the consequence of general effects on the plasma osmotic/ionic balance. Growth hormone and thyroxine together, but not separately, decrease and increase magnesium levels, at low and high enironmental salinities, respectively, indicating a complex endocrine control of plasma magnesium. Gill Na +,K +-ATPase, activity in hypophysectomized salmon is stimulated by growth hormone and cortisol, but inhibited by thyroxine and raised environmental salinity. This implies a complex endocrine control and indicates that hormonal support is needed to sustain or raise gill Na +,K +-ATPase activity in seawater. Increased environmental salinity induces elevation of plasma cortisol levels in apparent absence of pituitary control, indicating that the interrenals may respond to changes in external and/or internal environment, either directly or indirectly through extrapituitary hormonal or nervous control. Cortisol is a potent inhibitor of calcitonin secretion, as seen by the large decrease in plasma calcitonin levels in cortisol-treated hypophysectomized fish. The study was carried out at a time when thyroxine plasma levels were low. These basal levels were not affected by hypophysectomy, possibly indicating a basal release of thyroxine from the thyroid without stimulatory support of the pituitary gland.

Relations entre l'hivernage et la reprise des activités endocrines, testiculaire et thyroïdienne, chez Vipera aspis L. (reptilia, viperidae)

The relationships between the end of hibernation and testicular and thyroid endocrine recrudescence were tested in Vipera aspis by subjecting hibernating vipers to experimental climatic conditions. Vipers kept under artificially warmed conditions (for 3.5 hr during the day to a thermal gradient from 11 to 27°) 1 month before emergence showed an increase in plasma testosterone before vipers exposed to natural conditions (outdoor enclosures) did. The use of different photoperiodic conditions, long, LD 12:12, and short, LD 8:16, shows that photoperiod length has no effect on this increase. For vipers kept under prolonged hibernation (under a uniform temperature of 5° or exposed to natural conditions at the northern limit of the species' distribution), testicular endocrine recrudescence was observed as soon as the first emergence only for the vipers placed at the northern range limit. What-ever the conditions, experimental or natural, the emergence of vipers always corresponds to a weight loss correlated with the increase of plasma thyroxine level. The relationship between the end of hibernation and testicular and thyroid endocrine recrudescence is discussed.

Osmoregulatory ability of chum salmon,Oncorhynchus keta, reared in fresh water for prolonged periods

The osmoregulatory ability of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), reared in fresh water for a prolonged period, was examined by transferring them directly to seawater and then back to fresh water. When fry and juveniles weighing 0.3-125g, reared in fresh water for 1.5-13 months, were transferred directly to seawater, they adjusted their plasma Na(+) concentration to the seawater-adapted level within 12-24h. When they were transferred back to fresh water after having been adapted to seawater for 2 weeks, the plasma Na(+) level gradually decreased during the first 12-24h, and then increased to reattain the initial freshwater level after 5-7 days. No mortality was observed during the experiment except among the smallest fry weighing about 0.3g after transfer to seawater (2.1%). The maintenance of good osmoregulatory ability of the chum salmon for a prolonged period in fresh water seems to be unique among Pacific salmon, with the possible exception of the pink salmon.Changes in plasma levels of hormones during the transfer experiments were recorded in juveniles reared in fresh water for 13 months. Prolactin levels increased maximally 3 days after transfer from seawater to fresh water, as would be expected from its well-established role in freshwater adaptation in several euryhaline teleosts. In addition, an increase in plasma growth hormone was observed during the first 12h after seawater transfer, along with a tendency towards a decrease during freshwater transfer, suggesting an important role for this hormone in seawater adaptation. There were no consistent changes in plasma levels of thyroxine and cortisol during freshwater to seawater or seawater to freshwater transfer.

Effect of phenelzine on thyroid function in depressed patients

Alterations in thyroid status are frequently associated with changes in mood, especially depression. In particular, therapeutic response to several pharmacological agents used in the treatment of depression has been shown to be associated with decreases in thyroid function tests. Carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant, is effective in the acute and prophylactic treatment of manic depressive illness (Post et al. 1984). It has been recently shown that carbamazepine treatment of primary affective illness is associated with significant reductions in the plasma levels of thyroxine (T4), free T4, and triiodothyronine (T3) without parallel increases in thyrotropin (TSH) (Roy-Byrne et al. 1984). Furthermore, responders to carbamazepine treatment have significantly greater reductions in peripheral thyroid hormone levels than do nonresponders (Roy-Byrne et al. 1984). It has also been shown that depressed patients who respond to lithium treatment have greater impairment of thyroid function than nonresponders (Benaim and Page 1984). Electroconvulsive treatment is also associated with significant reductions in peripheral thyroid hormones as compared with pretreatment levels in responders to treatment (Kirkegaard and Faber 1981). The effects of tricyclic

Fetal brain development in response to iodine deficiency in a primate model ( Callithrix jacchus jacchus)

The common cotton-eared marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus jacchus) has been used for the first time as a primate model to study the effects of dietary iodine deficiency on fetal brain development. Paired male and female marmosets were fed a low-iodine diet of maize, peas, meat meal, Torula yeast, maize oil and added vitamins, minerals and amino acids for 6 months before mating. Offspring from first and second pregnancies were compared with offspring from control marmosets fed the same diet but supplemented with iodine. Severe iodine deficiency in the fetus at birth was evident by reduced plasma thyroxine levels, increased plasma thyroid stimulating hormone levels, increased thyroid weight and reduced thyroid iodine content. Thyroid histology revealed hyperplasia, hypertrophy and absence of colloid material in the follicles. Iodine deficiency caused a reduction in the weight of the fetal brain and in particular the cerebellum. Brain cell number was reduced in the cerebellum and brainstem but cell size was reduced in the cerebral hemispheres. Histology of the brain revealed morphological changes in the cerebellum and cerebral hemispheres. In the cerebellum there was: an increase in the thickness of the external germinal layer indicative of impaired cell acquisition; a decrease in total area; a decrease in molecular layer area; and an increase in Purkinje cell (Pc) linear density due to a reduction in the length of the Pc line. The decrease in molecular layer area and increase in Pc linear density imply diminished ascending and lateral extension of Pc dendrites. Changes in the cerebral hemispheres consisted of an increase in the density of neuronal cell bodies in the granular band and a decrease in synaptic counts in the layer between the pia mater and supragranular band of the visual cortex. Offspring from second pregnancies compared to those from first pregnancies were more severely affected and associated with lower plasma levels of maternal and fetal thyroxine. These findings indicate the importance of maternal and fetal thyroid function in relation to fetal brain development in the primate.

Influence of Corticosterone Infusion on Plasma Levels of Catecholamines, Thyroid Hormones, and Certain Metabolites in Laying Hens

Corticosterone was infused continuously through subcutaneously implanted mini-osmotic pumps into laying White Leghorn hens at the rate of 30 μg/hr for 14 or 28 days. In both groups receiving corticosterone, plasma levels of glucose and triglycerides were not altered significantly. Circulating levels of cholesterol and free fatty acids increased significantly following both 14 and 28-day infusions of the hormone. Corticosterone treatment for 28 days produced significant increases in plasma levels of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). However, following the 14-day corticosterone infusion, only T3 showed significant increase. The T3:T4 ratio in both groups of corticosterone-infused hens was significantly higher than in control hens. The concentration of plasma epinephrine showed no significant response to corticosterone treatment, while norepinephrine increased significantly following both periods of treatment.

Effect of thyroid-stimulating hormone on the physiology and morphology of the thyroid gland in coho salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutch

Activity of the thyroid gland of the coho salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutch, was assessed by physiological, histological and ultrastructural criteria after treatment with graded doses of bovine thyrotropin (bTSH) in January and March. Average plasma thyroxine (T4) levels increased from about 0.8 ng/ml in saline-injected controls to about 15 ng/ml in fish treated with four intraperitoneal injections of 0.8 lU bTSH. Light-microscope observations of one μm-thick sections stained with methylene blue and azure II, showed that bTSH treatment increased epithelial height in both presmolts and smolts. Ultrastructural manifestations of increased activity owing to bTSH treatment were also seen, along with evidence of follicle proliferation. Cytoplasmic organelles and secretory granules increased in numbers with increased dosage of bTSH.

Osmoregulatory and endocrine relationships with chloride cell morphology and density during smoltification in coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Chloride cell morphology and density in the gill and opercular membrane of coho salmon ( Oncorhynehus kisutch) were examined during the 1982 and 1983 smolt-seasons for structural correlates to smoltification-associated changes in hypoosmoregulatory ability and plasma hormone levels. Although not synchronous in the two years, plasma thyroxine levels displayed two peaks each year. In 1982, changes in gill Na +,K +-ATPase activity were preceded by elevations in plasma thyroxine. In 1983, the increase in enzyme activity corresponded with the April increases in plasma thyroxine and prolactin. Seawater (SW) acclimation experiments showed discrete increases in SW tolerance which coincided with changes in gill enzyme activity. Although these data suggest a relationship between SW tolerance and plasma thyroxine levels, the patterns in the two years were different. A significant peak in plasma prolactin levels in April suggests possible involvement in the parr-smolt transformation. Chloride cells were studied in the opercular membrane, a chloride cell-containing epithelium lining the branchial side of the operculum, and the gill epithelium. Opercular membrane chloride cells (1982), marked with a mitochondrion-specific fluorescent stain, increased nearly two-fold in late May, concurrent with the second increase in gill Na +,K +-ATPase activity and SW tolerance. Gill morphology was examined (1983) with scanning and transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. Initially, the gill filament surface appeared rough but became smoother during smoltification and rough again toward the end of smoltification. Two mitochondrion-rich (chloride) cell types were present in the gill epithelium during smoltification. The electron-lucent type I cell contained large, circular mitochondria while the electron-dense type II cell contained thin, elongate mitochondria. Ultrastructurally, many type I cells appeared disrupted which may indicate cellular degeneration or a special response of type I cells to fixation. However, it was unusual to find either intact or disrupted type I cells after March. Chloride cell density (type I plus type II) remained constant during smoltification. The inability to distinguish between these cell types with the light microscope may have obscured changes in their individual densities. The data from both the opercular membrane and the gill epithelium and their relationship with gill Na +,K +-ATPase activity suggest that the development of SW tolerance during smoltification is partially due to changes in chloride cell enzyme activity and density. The presence of two mitochondrion-rich cell types is discussed with regard to their possible role in the hypoosmoregulatory changes which occur during smoltification.

Changes in the Immune System of Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during the Parr-to-Smolt Transformation and after Implantation of Cortisol

The primary immune response of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), as assessed by the production of splenic antibody-secreting cells (plaque-forming cells, PFC) after an injection of Vibrio anguillarum O-antigen, decreased during smoltification. This period was marked by increases in gill Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity and plasma thyroxine and cortisol titers. Numbers of leucocytes relative to erythrocytes in peripheral blood and splenic lymphocytes relative to fish body weight were also reduced. Fish reared at normal hatchery density (approximately 2 fish∙L−1) appeared to have reduced rates of development and higher numbers of PFC than fish reared at one-third normal density. Moreover, in fish changed from normal density to low density 2 wk before sampling, ATPase activity and plasma thyroxine levels were equal to those in fish reared continuously at normal density, but plasma cortisol levels and PFC were equal to those in fish reared at low density. Fish with cortisol implants had higher plasma cortisol titers, reduced numbers of splenic PFC, splenic lymphocytes, and circulating leucocytes, and greater mortality when fish were exposed to V. anguillarum.