title: Nitrate-induced hypothyroidism is associated with a reduced concentration of growth hormone-releasing factor in hypothalamic tissue of rats.
abstract: Dietary nitrate significantly inhibits the growth of male and female rats. To test the possibility that the growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) content in hypothalamic tissue is deranged under these conditions, male and female rats were fed a diet containing 3% KNO3 for 6 weeks, compared to a normal diet (4 X 5 animals). The food intake of rats fed nitrate was reduced significantly (23 and 28% resp.). Weight gain was also decreased by 35 and 41% in male and female rats. The mean Sm-C/IGF-I concentration was 1.61 and 1.03 rU/ml in male and female control rats, whereas the concentrations in nitrate-exposed rats were 0.92 and 0.64, respectively (P less than 0.01). The GRF content of hypothalamic tissue also decreased significantly from 407 and 533 ng/g protein in controls to 174 and 229 in treated male and female rats. Nitrate exposure is characterized by hypothyroidism, food intake depression, low Sm-C/IGF-I concentrations in plasma and a decreased hypothalamic GRF content. Independent of the peripheral changes, the content of Sm-C/IGF-I in the brain remains constant. The results of the study demonstrate that thyroid hormone deficiency leads to an inhibition of GH axis already at the hypothalamic level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena/Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jahreis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hesse
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prange
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zwacka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000378:metabolism; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D013974:Thyroxine