title: Hypothyroidism and pituitary contents of immunoactive met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin in male rats of different ages.
abstract: A comparison of the effect of PTU-induced hypothyroidism on the contents of immunoactive met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin in the pituitaries from rats aged 2 1/2, 12, and 18 months was made. In all ages, there was significant reduction of IR-met-enkephalin content in the anterior lobe and IR-beta-endorphin content in the neuro-intermediate lobe after PTU treatment. There was a significant age-related decrease in IR-beta-endorphin content in the anterior lobe. Rats of all three ages responded to PTU treatment with an increase in serum TSH level and a drastic reduction in serum T3 and T4 levels. The results indicate that there was no age-related difference in the change of pituitary opioid peptide contents in response to hypothyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Man
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000032:analysis*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine