RELATIONS THYROÏDE–SURRÉNALES DANS L'ADAPTATION AU FROID

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Abstract
Recent studies have stressed the relations between the thyroid and adrenal glands. A review of the literature on this subject leads to the hypothesis that a quantitative relationship between the thyroid and corticoadrenal hormones seems to play an important part in the defence of the organism exposed to cold. Experimental work on normal, adrenalectomized, thyroidectomized, and adrenalectomized–thyroidectomized rats receiving various doses of cortisone and (or) thyroxine emphasizes the existence of such a quantitative relation between thyroxine and cortisone. The administration of thyroxine can prevent the catabolic action of cortisone in animals exposed to cold. Analysis of the results seems to show that exposure to cold is not a stress, provided the increase in thyroid function is sufficient to meet the requirements of the organism. From these experiments and other results obtained in this laboratory, a new basis can be laid down for the understanding of the beneficial effects of ascorbic acid in animals exposed to cold. It has been shown repeatedly that administration of ascorbic acid can prevent to some extent the catabolic effects of exposure to cold. It has also been observed that ascorbic acid administration decreases the degree of thyroid hyperactivity in animals exposed to cold. On the other hand, it has been shown that thyroxine administration can also prevent the catabolic effects of exposure to cold. It seems logical to assume that ascorbic acid might, in some way, reduce the thyroid hormone requirements of the cold exposed animals. Up to the present, only indirect evidence of such a mechanism has been obtained; it is hoped that further experimentation will provide a definite insight into this problem.

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