title: Decreased thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and 5'-deiodination levels in malabsorption syndrome (runting or stunting syndrome) in artificially inoculated broilers.
abstract: The effect of malabsorption syndrome (stunting or runting syndrome) on the thyroid function of broilers was investigated in control and inoculated broilers from 1 to 29 days of age. The broilers were infected at 1 day of age with intestinal homogenates from chickens naturally suffering from this syndrome. The body weight of inoculated broilers was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower 1 week after inoculation than that of controls. The level of thyroxine in the serum of inoculated birds was lower (P less than 0.05) from day 6 through the remainder of the trial. The level of triiodothyronine of inoculated birds was depressed (P less than 0.05) on day 4, but 1 week later it returned to normal. The earliest phenomenon indicative of disturbance of thyroid function was the significant depression of 5'-deiodination in liver homogenates of inoculated broilers as early as day 2. It is concluded that thyroid function is one of the earliest targets of this syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D013974:Thyroxine