RELATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS TO THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE GUINEA PIG THYROID GLAND

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Abstract
Groups of guinea pigs were administered thyrotropin, thyroxine, and thiouracil. The weight, functional activity (I131 uptake), relative percentages of tissue constituents, average cell height and the cell population density of the thyroid glands were determined. Desoxyribonucleic acid and ribonuclcic acid of thyroid tissue were determined by chemical methods. Since the histological structure of the thyroid gland is a variable factor, it should be considered in the interpretation of data obtained by chemical analysis of whole tissue samples.A method is described for expressing the results of chemical analyses of thyroid gland nucleic acids in terms of a calculated thyroid parenchymal cell mass.These results differ in significance from the conventionally expressed values based on a unit weight of whole tissue sample. The nuclear content of DNA was found to be independent from the stimulating action of thyrotropin. In the thyrotropin stimulated gland, an increase of RNA was observed.