Author/Editor		Soukup, T; Zacharova, G; Smerdu, V; Jirmanova, I
Title		Body, heart, thyroid gland and skeletal muscle weight changes in rats with altered thyroid status
Type		članek
Source		Physiol Res
Vol. and No.		Letnik 50, št. 6
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 619-26
Language		eng
Abstract		In the present paper we describe changes of anatomical parameters in inbred Lewis strain rats, namely their body weight, body weight gain per week, absolute and relative heart, thyroid gland and skeletal muscle weights, that are assumed to reflect experimentally altered thyroid status. The hyperthyroid state was induced by DL-thyroxine or Na 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine, while methimazole was employed for inducing hypothyroidism. We have found that when compared to euthyroid rats, hypothyroidism resulted in a significantly lower body weight gain, absolute and relative heart weight and, in contrast, in a significant increase of absolute and relative thyroid gland weight. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism led to a significant increase of absolute and relative heart weight and to a significant eduction of absolute and relative thyroid gland weight. However, the body mass was not significantly altered in hyperthyroidism as compared with euthyroid rats. We conclude that our protocol leads to chronic hyper- or hypothyroidism as demonstrated by body, heart and thyroid gland weight changes. These anatomical data can thus be utilized as supplemental criteria for the assessment of the thyroid state of experimental rats.
Descriptors		BODY WEIGHT ORGAN WEIGHT HEART THYROID GLAND MUSCLE, SKELETAL HYPOTHYROIDISM HYPERTHYROIDISM WEIGHT GAIN RATS, INBRED LEW LEVOTHYROXINE DEXTROTHYROXINE METHIMAZOLE