Dietary selenium status and plasma thyroid hormones in chicks

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of marginal levels of selenium and vitamin E on plasma thyroid hormones of meattype chicks. Plasma thyroxine (T₄) was significantly increased when a semipurified diet was supplemented with either selenium or vitamin E. Triiodothyronine (T₃) was also significantly increased by vitamin E and in one experiment with selenium supplementation. No significant increase in these hormones was observed in birds fed a corn-soybean-meal diet supplemented with these nutrients. Plasma corticosterone level was reduced and weight of the bursa of Fabricius increased by selenium or vitamin E supplementation. These nutrients may be necessary for providing the optimum thyroid conditions for activity of thyroid peroxidase.