EFFECTS OF THIOURACIL FEEDING ON RESISTANCE TO LOW ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE1

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Abstract
In 1943 Leblond and Gross observed that thyroidectomized rats failed to survive at low environmental temperatures unless administered thyroid hormone. Since thiouracil inhibits thyroxin synthesis in the body, impaired survival at low environmental temperatures might also be expected following prolonged administration of this drug. In the present experiment adult female rate were made hypothyroid by thiouracil feeding, and their length of survival determined under cold room conditions with and without thyroxin administration. procedure and results Forty-seven female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were raised to maturity on a stock ration and selected for the present experiment at approximately 10 weeks of age and an average body weight of 170.1 g. (range 148 to 192 g.). Forty-one rats (group I) were fed a purified ration consisting of thiouracil 0.3%, casein2 22.0%, salt mixture3 4.5%, whole liver powder4 10.0%, cottonseed oil (Wesson) 10.0% and sucrose 53.2%.