Effect of thyroidectomy of immature male chickens on circulating thyroid hormones and on response to thyroid-stimulating hormone and chronic cold exposure.

Previous studies in the author's laboratory established that thyroidectomized (Tx) immature male chickens had significant levels of circulating thyroid hormones, and it was proposed that extrathyroidal tissue might be present. Three experiments were conducted to further investigate this possibility. In all experiments, thyroid glands were removed surgically at 3 wk of age. In the first experiment, birds were kept until 20 wk of age. It was found that only triidothyronine levels were reduced significantly in the Tx birds. In the second experiment, Tx as well as sham-operated control groups received a single iv injection of bovine thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to determine if extrathyroidal tissue in Tx birds would respond to exogenous TSH. It was found that circulating thyroxine (T4) concentrations in sham-operated control birds, but not Tx birds, were increased following TSH injection. In the third experiment, Tx and sham-operated birds were exposed chronically to cold (7 C), and only circulating T4 was found to be elevated in both groups. It was concluded that extrathyroidal tissue in Tx birds does not respond to TSH.