title: [The effect of carbamide feeding over a long period of time on thyroid gland activity in bulls].
abstract: In this experiment, 10 fattening bulls were given 0.27-0.42 g/kg body-weight of urea daily for 4 months. The bulls slaughtered after the experiments showed enlarged thyroid glands. These thyroid glands were much larger than the control glands (P = 0.1%). At the end of the experiment the bulls fed with urea weighed, on average, 44 kg more than the control bulls (P = 5%). The histology and electron-microscopy tests revealed that the bulls had hyperplasia of the thyrocytes, grave hydropic and vacuolar degeneration of the thyroid glands, and a considerable decrease in the colloids of the folliculus. The morphological test on the thyroid glands of bulls fed with the aforementioned level of urea daily for a longer period corresponded with the considerable alterations observed when treating bulls with thiouracil by-products. The consequences of urea-rationing for a longer period were tested and the dangers of thyroid-gland alterations were made apparent. Blood samples (120 cases) were taken in the experiment to determine the concentrations of NH3-N, urea and of thyroxine and triiodothyronine (480 pcs), referring to pre-test conditions. The same parameters were determined five times (every 2 months) during the experiment. The parameters received in the tests were, on average and in terms of extreme values as follows: [table: see text] Except for the histological outcome, the blood tests did not show the hypothyreosis of the whole organism.
authors.affiliation: Pannon Agraruniversität, Landwirtschaftliche Fakultät, Lehrstuhl für Tierphysiologie und Tiergesundheitslehre, Mosonmagyaróvár, Budapest, Ungarn.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kapp
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000662:veterinary; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014508:Urea / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014508:Urea; D013974:Thyroxine; C006568:ammonium nitrate