title: Effect of dietary triiodothyronine on mixed-lymphocyte responsiveness in young male chickens.
abstract: The effect of dietary triiodothyronine (T3) supplementation (0, 0.1, 0.1, and 1.0 ppm of T3) on the mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) was examined in MHC-matched young Cornell K and sex-linked dwarf (SLD) strain cockerels at ages 6, 9, and 12 weeks. At all ages, MLR in SLD strain cockerels was significantly lower than in the K strain. Supplementation of 6-week-old cockerels with 0.01 and 0.1 ppm of T3 tended to decrease MLR in both strains, whereas the highest dose of T3 had the opposite effect in the K strain and no effect in the SLD strain compared to the control. No significant effects of T3 on MLR were observed in 9-week-old cockerels. A significant main treatment effect of T3 on MLR was observed in 12-week-old cockerels. At this age dietary T3 decreased MLR in both strains. These results show that allo-aggression, a functional parameter of cell-mediated immunity, can be affected by non-MHC controlled strain differences and by the iodothyronine state of these strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry and Avian Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 4853-5601.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Erf
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013974:Thyroxine