EFFECT OF THYROID ACTIVITY UPON METABOLIC RESPONSE TO DINITRO-ORTHO-CRESOL1

Abstract

THIOURACIL, thiourea and similar compounds have been shown to lower the metabolism of experimental animals, probably by depressing the ability of the thyroid gland to elaborate its hormone (Franklin, Chaikoff and Lerner, 1944; Salter and McKay, 1944; Astwood, Bissell and Hughes, 1945). However, the animal rendered hypothyroid by these drugs still is able to give an essentially normal calorigenic response to thyroxin or desiccated thyroid substance (Dempsey and Astwood, 1943; Reineke, Mixner and Turner, 1945; Meyer and Ransom, 1945; Barker, 1945). It was thought of value to study the effect of dinitro-ortho-cresol (DNC) in thiouracil-treated rats, inasmuch as the dinitrophenols have been considered to exert their metabolism-stimulating effects directly upon the peripheral tissues (Magne, Mayer and Plantefol, 1932; Tainter and Cutting, 1933).