title: Thyroidal involvement in the expression of avian muscular dystrophy.
abstract: We showed previously that propylthiouracil (PTU), a thyroid inhibitor, could alleviate several major signs of hereditary muscular dystrophy in chickens. The goals of the present investigation were to: (1) determine whether a nearly athyroid condition (achieved within two days after hatching by surgical thyroidectomy plus PTU) during an 11-day period beneficially affects the dystrophic condition when followed by triiodothyronine (T3) replacement to 33 days of age; (2) determine the beneficial effects on the expression of avian dystrophy when the thyroidectomized-PTU-treated chickens received a wide range of moderate to low T3 replacement doses beginning by two days after thyroidectomy; and (3) examine the thyroid hormone receptor system in dystrophic muscle for a possible abnormality. Thyroid deprivation increased muscle function (righting ability) and reduced plasma creatine kinase activity in dystrophic chickens. The major thyroid-related abnormality in dystrophic pectoralis muscles was an increased maximum binding capacity of solubilized nuclear T3 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biology, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Entrikin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007700:Kinetics; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010641:Phenotype; D011441:Propylthiouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013997:Time Factors; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D003402:Creatine Kinase