Triiodothyronine affects mitogen responsiveness in sex-linked dwarf and Cornell K strain chickens.
The response of lymphocytes to concanavalin A (Con A) was examined in the functionally hypothyroid SLD strain and the normal K strain chickens which were fed diets with or without T3 supplementation (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 ppm) since the time of hatch. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 3 and 12 week old male and female chickens were incubated with Con A for 60 h. Mitogenic responsiveness was assessed by measuring the uptake of 3H-thymidine during the last 24 h of incubation. There was no difference in the mitogen response between male and female chickens. The mitogen responsiveness of PBL from the K strain tended to be greater than that from the SLD strain at both ages. The lowest dose of T3 (0.1 ppm) had no effect on the mitogen response of 3-week-old K strain chicks but caused an increase in mitogen response in 3-week-old SLD and in 12-week-old birds of both strains. Supplementation with 0.5 and 1.0 ppm T3 tended to decrease mitogen responsiveness in the K and SLD strain at both ages. The effect of treatment on thymus weights, bursa weights, and lymphocyte concentrations of the blood was also assessed.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D003208:Concanavalin A