Influence of ethanol on thyroxine accumulation in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and cerebrospinal fluid in the newborn rabbit.

The effect of ethanol on thyroxine (T4) accumulation in the hypothalamus (H), pituitary gland (P) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been investigated in 1-15-day-old rabbits. It has been found that H or CSF serum ratios decreased with age by about 2 in the course of 13 postnatal days. Stable T4 resulted in an increase of 125 I-T4 in H, P and CSF. Ethanol per se caused an increase in transfer and accumulation of radiothyroxine or made the changes after loading animals with carrier T4 more pronounced.