Effect of fasting on plasma thyroid and adrenal hormone levels in turkey poults infected with Bordetella avium.

Plasma triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and corticosterone (CS) were measured in fasted and nonfasted control and Bordetella avium-infected poults. The stress of B. avium infection increased plasma CS, and fasting for 24 hours caused a further significant increase in CS levels. Plasma T3 was not affected by the infection, but fasting caused a significant reduction in both control and infected poults. Plasma T4 of fasted poults was increased in both control and infected groups, but infection attenuated the plasma T4 response. Total iodothyronines were increased in the control-fasted poults more than in infected-fasted poults, indicating a reduced responsiveness to stress by the thyroids of infected poults. Changes in plasma thyroid hormones and CS partially explain the decreased body weight gain and decreased body temperature after exposure to B. avium.