COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM, HYPERTHYROIDISM AND UNDERNUTRITION ON THE PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID CONTENTS OF THE CEREBELLUM IN THE YOUNG RAT

Abstract— The effects of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and undernutrition on the development of the protein and nucleic acid contents of the cerebellum were studied in young rats ranging in age from 6 to 35 days. Foetal and neonatal propylthiouracil treatment caused a delayed cell multiplication in the organ but this delay had disappeared at 35 days. As early as the age of 10 days, the total cerebellar RNA and protein contents in these hypothyroid animals were lower than in the normal animals but the mean cellular contents of RNA and protein were not lowered before the age of 21 days. Slight neonatal hyperthyroidism, induced by the daily injection of a relatively small dose of thyroxine, produced an accelerated cell multiplication during the first postnatal week and afterwards a delay in cell proliferation. In the hyperthyroid animals, the mean cellular protein content, initially higher than normal, tended to be lower at 35 days. At this age, the cell number had nearly returned to normal. Undernutrition directly led to a reduced cell proliferation and the reduced cell number still persisted at 35 days. At first, the cells were on the average larger than normal, but the effect on the mean RNA and protein contents per cell was not persistent in the underfed animals.
This study correlates the degree of neonatal hyperthyroidism with the further development of the cell population of the cerebellum and emphasizes the importance of the events which take place just after birth in the cerebellum submitted to an excess or a deficiency of thyroid hormone. In addition, the results are discussed in relation to data concerning the morphogenetic action of thyroid and of underfeeding on the cerebellum.