title: Dietary selenium status and plasma thyroid hormones in chicks.
abstract: Experiments were conducted to study the effect of marginal levels of selenium and vitamin E on plasma thyroid hormones of meattype chicks. Plasma thyroxine (T4) was significantly increased when a semipurified diet was supplemented with either selenium or vitamin E. Triiodothyronine (T3) was also significantly increased by vitamin E and in one experiment with selenium supplementation. No significant increase in these hormones was observed in birds fed a corn-soybean-meal diet supplemented with these nutrients. Plasma corticosterone level was reduced and weight of the bursa of Fabricius increased by selenium or vitamin E supplementation. These nutrients may be necessary for providing the optimum thyroid conditions for activity of thyroid peroxidase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, 30602, Athens, Georgia.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Colnago
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiba