EFFECTS OF DESICCATED THYROID ON NON-ESTROGENIZED AND ESTROGENIZED SEXUALLY IMMATURE PULLETS

Abstract

Inclusion of 0.5 per cent desiccated thyroid in the food of unestrogenized immature pullets for 14 days reduced thyroid weight, reduced serum Ca slightly but significantly, increased liver total crude protein, liver total DNAP and total RNAP, but did not alter the ratio RNAP:DNAP in the liver. These results are regarded as indicative of stimulation of growth of liver tissues by the thyroidal treatment.Daily intramuscular, injection of 1.0 mg. estradiol benzoate for 14 days greatly increased serum Ca and liver total crude protein, increased slightly liver total DNAP and increased greatly liver total RNAP and ratio RNAP: DNAP in the liver. The thyroidal treatment reduced estrogen-induced increase of serum Ca and of liver crude protein but did not alter significantly the effects of estrogen on liver DNAP and RNAP.The thyroidal treatment increased kidney weight in both unestrogenized and estrogenized pullets.Estrogen treatment increased kidney weight and the percentage of dry matter in the kidney.The thyroidal treatment did not affect the degree of estrogen-induced hypertrophy of the oviduct.