EFFECTS OF INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTIONS OF THYROID GLAND SUSPENSIONS AND ORAL METHYL THIOURACIL ADMINISTRATION IN RATS

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Abstract
Sellers, Hill and Lee originally observed that feeding rats with dehydrated thyroid gland tissue simultaneously with the administration of propyl thiouracil produced neoplasms in the thyroid gland as well as disturbances of growth (Endocrinol. 52, 188, 1953). In an extension of this work, 3 groups of female rats were fed the following diets group I received food containing methyl thiouracil, group II the same food and also intraperitoneal injections twice weekly of thyroid gland suspension from a three month old rat and group III the same injections of thyroid gland suspension and ordinary diet without thiouracil. The rats were killed 2.5, 6, 8 and 12 months after the beginning of the experiment. Body weight increased slowly in groups I and II while III developed in a normal way. Thyroid weight showed a significant increase in groups I and II in comparison to the control group, while III showed an increase only towards the end of the experiment. Pituitary weight of groups I and II exceeded the normal values and those of III. Adrenal atrophy was noticeable in I and II throughout the experiment. Group I and especially group II showed histological changes suggestive of thyroid hyperplasia. One of the rats in group II had an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

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