Stimulation of acetylcholinesterase activity by triiodothyronine in the brain of Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch).

Three consecutive days of injections of triiodothyronine (T3)(0.038, 0.075, 0.15 and 1.54 nmoles/g) significantly elevated the acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity in the brain of Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch). The higher doses of 0.075, 0.15 and 1.54 nmoles of T3/g induced a greater increase in enzyme activity than 0.038 nmoles/g. A T3 dose of 0.019 nmoles/g was found to be ineffective. The T3 action on AchE activity was blocked by cycloheximide. Thiourea treatment for 30 days decreased the AchE activity below the control level. This reduced level of the enzyme activity was brought back even above the control level by T3 injections. It is, therefore, suggested that thyroid hormone is involved in the sustenance of AchE activity in fish brain.