The response of adrenal glands of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens housed under different population densities was studied. The birds were reared in floor pens until they were 19 weeks of age, after which they were housed in cages. Cage size was 30.5 X 50.8 cm. Three, four, or five birds were housed per cage. Corticosterone concentrations were measured in all birds 48 and 96 hr following housing in cages and weekly thereafter for 6 weeks. Corticosterone concentrations were consistently higher in the serum of birds housed five per cage than in birds housed three or four per cage. It was concluded that in order to minimize physiological stress in cage layers, more than 387 cm2 per bird should be considered.
This study was conducted to determine if hypothyroidism has an effect on humoral immunity in immature male chickens. Two week old Single Comb White Leghorn male chicks were used as experimental animals. Two experiments were conducted using different methods to induce hypothyroidism. In Experiment 1, birds were surgically thyroidectomized (Tx group) and in Experiment 2, hypothyroidism was induced by supplementing the feed throughout the experiment with 0.1% propylthiouracil (PTU group). Antibody production against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) (thymus-dependent antigen) and Brucella abortus (BA) (thymus-independent antigen) was tested at 4 weeks of age. Serum concentrations of T4 and T3 were measured in birds from each treatment group at 5 and 9 weeks of age. Body weights were recorded and birds were then autopsied and thyroid gland weights were measured. Hypothyroidism was successfully induced in both Tx and PTU birds, as reflected by significant reduction in body weights in both groups, enlargement of thyroid glands in PTU birds and absence of thyroid glands in Tx birds. Though T4 and T3 were reduced in sera of treated birds, considerable amounts of these hormones were detected. Hypothyroidism did not seem to have profound or consistent effects on antibody production against SRBC or BA. The possibility that thyroid hormones play a role in antibody production was not ruled out. However, it was suggested that within the physiological range of thyroid gland activity, thyroid hormones may not significantly regulate antibody production.
Previous work has shown that parathyroid hormone causes the kidneys of domestic fowl to secrete inorganic phosphate (Pi) into the urine. Secreted Pi is not derived directly from plasma Pi. The objective of the present study was to determine if direct or indirect correlations exist between the urinary Pi excretion rate and the concentration of phosphate in plasma or whole blood. Parathyroid hormone dissolved in gelatin carrier vehicle was injected into immature domestic fowl to cause net renal Pi secretion. Control birds were injected with carrier vehicle alone, resulting in net Pi reabsorption. Urine, plasma, and whole blood samples obtained during net Pi secretion were compared with samples obtained during net Pi reabsorption. Each sample was assayed for total and inorganic phosphate. Neither time course nor point by point comparisons of individual samples provided any evidence that secreted Pi is derived from organic phosphate in plasma or whole blood. These experiments suggest that phosphate pools within the kidneys may serve as a source for the Pi that is secreted in response to parathyroid hormone.
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