Publication authorized August 31, 1942.Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references

Brody, Samuel, 1890-1956

Frankenbach, R. F.

University of Missouri: MOspace

SEPTEMBER, 1942 RESEARCH BULLETIN 349 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION M. F. Miller, Director GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT With Special Reference to Domestic Animals LIV. Age Changes in Size, Energy Metabolism and Cardio-Respiratory Activities of Thyroidectomized Cattle SAMUEL BRODY AND R. F. FRANKENBACH (Publication Authorized August 31, 1942) COLUMBIA, MISSOURI FOREWORD The special investigation on growth and development is a cooperative enterprise in which the departments of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Husbandry, Agricultural Chemistry, and Poultry Husbandry have each contributed a substantial part. The parts for the investigation in the beginning were inaugu-rated by a committee including A. C. Ragsdale, E. A . Trowbridge, H. L. Kempster, A. G. Hogan, and F. B. Mumford. Samuel Brody served as Chairman of this committee and has been chiefly responsible for the execution of the plans, interpret ation · of results and the preparation of the publications resulting from this enterprise. M. F. MILLER Director Agricultural E xperiment S tation ABSTRACT AND SUMMARY A comparison is presented of the relative growth and develop-ment, metabolism and cardio-respiratory activities, general ap-pearance and behavior of a thyroidectomized Jersey heifer with that of a normal Jersey heifer. At Age 40 months, the thyroidectomized animal was about half normal weight, metabolism per unit surface area about 40% below normal, completely undeveloped sexually. Feeding iodized milk protein ("thyrolactin") following age 40 months, stimu-lated growth and sexual development. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT With Special Reference to Domestic Animals LIV. Age Changes in Size, Energy Metabolism and Cardio-Respiratory Activities of Thyroidectomized Cattle SAMUEL BRODY AND R. F. FRANKENB:ACH INTRODUCTION It is generally known that the thyroids have an important function in life processes. Thus thyroid removal prevents tad-poles from changing into frogs' and prevents pre-adolescent mammals from developing into normal sexed animals, indeed arrests their development almost completely.2 Thyroid removal depresses egg production in chickens3 and milk production in cows. 4 Thyroidectomy depresses heat production (metabolism) by about 40% ;'· the metabolic rate is, therefore, employed as a diagnostic index of the level of thyroid activity.6 Relatively normal animals may be slightly hyper- or hypo-thyroid. If hypo-thyroid,' thyroid administration in very small doses increases the rates of growth,' milk production,8 and other processes. It is evident that thyroid administration can accelerate a pro-ductive process in an animal only when the degree of hypo-thyroidism is sufficient to become a limiting factor in the process. If the level of thyroid activity is not the limiting factor, thyroid administration may depress the rate of the process by undue acceleration of catabolic processes at the expense of the anabolic processes, or at any rate, decrease the efficiency of the process by increased maintenance cost. 1Allen, B. M., Science, 44, 755, 1916. 2 See, for example, Simpson, S., Quart, J. Exp. Physiol. 6, 119, 1913, and 14, 161 and 185, 1924; also Am. J. Physiol. 80, 735, 1927. !!Winchester, C. F., Mo. Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. Bui. 315, 1940. 4Graham, W. R., Jr., J. Nut. 7, 407, 1~34. "Magnus-Levy, A., Berlin. Klin. Wochensch. 32, 650, 1895. 0Du Bois, E. G., Basal Metabolism in Health and Dbease. Philadelphia, 1927. 7See, for example, Robertson, T. B., Austral. J. Exp. Biol. & Med. 5, 69, 1928. Wilkins, L. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. 1, 3 and 518, 1941; also J. Am. Med. Assn., 114, 2382, 1940. Koger, M., Hurst, V., and Turner, C. W., Endocrinology, 31, 237, 1942. 8Graham, W. R., Jr., Bioc. J. 28, 1368, 1934. Herman, H. A., Graham, W. R., Jr., and Turner, C. W., Missouri Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. Bui. 275, 1938. Ralston, N. P., et al., Id. Res. Bul. 317, 1940. 4 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Since thyroid activity is ·measured by the metabolic rate (oxygen-consumption rate) one wonders whether it may not be possible to diagnose the state of thyroid function of cattle when they are still young, by measuring the metabolism of calves; thus predicting future performance is so far as the thyroid function affects it. Such prediction of future lactational performance of calves would have to be based on the correlation of metabolic rate in calves with later lactational performance, a rather tedious re-search. As a preliminary approach to such a research, observa-tions were made on the effect of thyroid removal on the behavior of cattle, especially on metabolic rate. The purpose of this bulletin is to report the results. RESULTS Survival.-Of six Jersey calves thyroidectomfaed at various ages, only the one thyroidectomized at the latest age, 54 days (Jersey T5, born July 28, 1938, thyroidectomized September 19, 1938), survived and is the subject of this report. The other five, thyroidectomized earlier, died at ages ranging from three weeks to five months following thyroidectomy. They shed much of their hair and in some cases shed patches of hide. The im-mediate causes of death were colds, pneumonia, and bloat. Growth in Body Weight.-The photograph, Fig. 1, of the thy-roidectomized heifer (taken along side the normal control) at age 40 months, shows in a general way how thyroidectomy re-tards growth and development. The timing of the growth retardation is shown in Fig. 2. The growth rate began to decline following the first month after thyroidectomy. Between ages 8 and 18 months the weight gains were 100 pounds for the thyroidectomized animal and 250 pounds for the control. Prac-tically no weight gain was made between 18 and 40 months in the thyroidectomized animal, whereas the control increased from 700 pounds at 18 months to over 1000 pounds at 40 months. It appears that under the given condition thyroidectomy re-duces mature body weight by over 50%. · General Appearance.-The general appearance of the thy-roidectomized animals at age 40 months, shown in Fig. 1, may be supplemented with the following notes: weight, 480 pounds (contrasted to the normal Jersey of 1100 pounds); height at withers, 41.6 inches (contrasted to that of the normal, 50 inches) ; heart girth, 55.l inches (contrasted to 62 inches in the normal); width of hips, 14.4 inches (contrasted to 20.4 inches in the RESEARCH BULLETIN 349 5 Fig. !.-Photographs of the thyroidectomized heifer (left) and control of the same age, in various positions. normal); distance of shoulder to ischium, 49.6 inches (contrasted to 60 inches in the normal) ; skin, dry and scaly; hair, short and rough (it is the original baby-calf hair, as she did not follow the custom of normal heifers of shedding the hair in the spring); joints, stiff and large bony growth formed about the ankles; characteristic cret!n (large) pounch; extremely disk-faced, due to disproportionate retardation of growth of the muzzle and jaw bones; practically hornless; has never exhibited signs of heat. The characteristic dryness and dullness of the hair and the constipation appeared about a month after thyroidectomy and preceded the growth and metabolism retardation. As might be expected from her low metabolic rate (Fig. 3), T5 was particularly sensitive to cold during the winter, and her joints stiffened so that she could hardly walk. Administration 6 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION of thyroxine and housing in a warm room promptly "cured" her stiff joints. The stiffness reappeared on cessation of thyroid treatment.. · The following are weight comparisons at several ages, supple-menting Fig. 2 (thyroidectomized at 54 days of age): TABLE 1. COMPARISON OF WEIGHTS OF THYROID ECTOMIZED AND CONTROL HEIFERS Age Birth 6 months 1 year 11/2 years 2 years 3 years Thyroidectomized Jersey ~ 3 1/2 years <Dec. 2, 1941> 72 240 375 443 450 470 480 5 10 30 Control Jersey ~ 70 243 450 600 735 860 900 JERSEY CATTLE 35 Fig. 2.-Comparison of age curves of growth of thyroidectomized and normal J erse:y heifers. Resting Heat Production.-The decline in resting metabolism following thyJ;oidectomy, shown in Fig. 3, along side that of the control animal, is as spectacular as the decline in growth. Beginning with a resting metabolism of about 1600 Cal./ sq. meter/day at age two months, the metabolism in the normal RESEARCH BULLETIN 349 BODY WUGHT 7 9 l<fO 2<;0 3<f0 4)0 1 5<;0 6<;0 1 ?C(J 8<f0 LBS. o:'..... ____ _;l::;:00:::.__~----==2::::00~· ---.---=300::;::::. __ ..----4.;.;00 KGS. ~ 2200 ~ 2000,1-----~ u :i. 18 VI g ~ ~ ~ 14 F VI ~ 120011.-__.:.. _ __JL.._ __ -!-__ __J ___ --L..._-~---.,J.,---' 4 8 12 16 20 24 AGE, MONTHS Fig. 3.-Comparison of age and weight curves of resting energy metab-alism, Cal/sq. meter/day of thyroidectomized and normal Jersey heifers. heifer increased to about 2000 Cal./sq. meter/day at the age of eight months, at which level it remained to the age of twenty-four months (when pregnancy complicated the picture in the normal control), while that of the thyroidectomized animal de-creased to about 1300 or 1400 Cal./sq. meter/day at the age of eight months, at which level it remained to age forty months. Fig. 4 shows the age changes in the total metabolism of the animal. ~ ~ <'AXYll----l----+---+---+---+----+--u '2.' VI Q4a..J:.Jf-----+--m---+--~ ~-.::==f.--\---!----l..=J---+---+---1 ~ ~ ~3 i'.= VI u.J cL. 10 0 THYl\OIDECTOMIZED JEil.SEY, T5 30 0 AGE, MONT HC:. Fig. 4.-Total resting metabolism of the thyroidectomized heifer as function of age and of season. 8 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Heat Increment of Feeding.-It is generally known that feed-ing is associated with an extra heat production, the so-called specific dynamic action, SDA. There is considerable literature1 concerning the influence of thyroid activity on SDA. Fig. 5 compares the slopes of the ·decline of heat production following feeding in the thyroidectomized animal, T5, and in an older normal cow measured at the same time. The data plotted on 3= >-cs "'-;£ d 'S- 2= < v ' ~ 15 0 a:> ~ ~ \.? z ~ 1= "" 0 i /0 x I A I A 4 "-.A '1 0 20 1 • NOP.MAL GUERNSEY,427,.11-1l-41,,Wt1082L 2 O THYROIDECTOMILED JE~llY, r 5 11-11-41,WT.472 LI!. J x NO~MAL GUE~NIEY,427,6-6-)9, wr.1082LB. 4 A THYROIDEC10MllED JE~IEY, r 1 6·6·J9WT. J79 LB. ~-----0 0 30 40 50 60 70 HOUR.S AFTER FEEDING Fig. 5.-Comparison of the time curves of the heat incre-ments of feeding in the thyroidectomized and normal cattle. ro ')O °' ' ' ' - ~-- \'7 .::::'!. ~ 50 ~ ' ~~A ' ' l~ I l ... ~ 00 J ~ ..... ' '-.. ~ ':B. >-t:-~....;, so I '·' \_ ~~ ... -----~ ...___ I I I -THYROIDECTOMIHD_ 2'2.00 2000 --NOP.Miil GOATS --I -1 1:~ -I ---76 112'0 1 _,, ~--~  K"'~ x ,080 r-.-~~ IOI ";;- 16 - I ''V 98 -800 so 0 10 15 '2.0 '25 30 35 40 45 so 55 60 HOUR.S AFTER. FEEDING Fig. 6.-Comparison of the time curves of the heat incre-ments of feeding in thyroidectomized and normal goats. 1For review of literature see Brody, S., Ann. Rev. Biochem., 3, 303, 1934. RESEARCH BULLETIN 349 9 an arithlog grid, indicate that what differences there are in position of the curves are due to differences in size of t he ani-mals and, therefore, to differences in the amounts of feed con-sumed. There does not appear to be any basic difference in the pattern of the SDA time curves of normal and thyroidectomized cattle. This conclusion is substantiated by similar data on thyroidectomized and normal goats in Fig. 6. NORMAL JERSEY 5 MONTHS, '2'2oLBS.#4 '. \\\\~\~ ' \ \ ~~~\ ' ~\ 10MONTHS, 4'2oLBS.#8 8MONTHS, 350LBS.#B \i~i;~11~~\~\!i~~~\(;;~&t\·::~i~~~; ;~;:I -15 MONTHS, 597LBS.#8 )(,' '' .. · .. ;~,, 11 MONTHS, 4 33 LBS.#8 · .... . ll\ '20 MONTHS, 763LBS.#8 THYROIDECTOMIZ.ED JERSEY Ml\ 11,\' ; '.~' -~ ··· . ''.1. j ·I · · \ ;'' ,, \~.·, 1~V. J V ; . .' J Yf~ •. ,_.,. ·,· ~ • v .. . ~·r' 1J 1~J~, 5 MONTHS, 197 LBS.# 4 10 MONTHS, 35'2LBS.#8 15 MONTHS; 4'29 LBS.#8 Fig. 7 . ..,.-Respiration rate and volume of normal and thyroidectomized heifers at given ages and live weights. ~ -Ul Ul 0 C1 p:i TABLE 2. CARDIO-RESPffiATORY ACTIVITIES OF THYROIDECTOMIZED JERSEY TS -AND NORMAL JERSEY 826 > 02 Consumption Ventilation Rate Ratio 02 Con-11tL24 hrs. <S.T.P.l l!tlmin., IS '.!: P l sumption to Pulse Rate 826 TS 826 TS Ventilation Body 826 TS Body Weight Per Per Per Per Rate Weight Per Per Age Kgs. Lbs. Total Kg, Total Kg. Total Kg. Total Kg. 826 T5 Lbs . Total Sq. M. Total Sq. M. Mos. ~ Pulse -(j Rate C1 t" 826 T5 ""3 c 50 110.2 490 9,8 544 5.4 16.6 .331 22.97 .230 2.05 1.64 110 70 52 53 39 s 75 165.3 690 9.2 478 3.2 22.2 .296 14.80 .098 2.16 2.24 16S 71 42 63 37 10 100 220.S 810 8.0 70S 3.S 27.3 .273 16.11 .080 2.06 3.03 220 67 34 6S 32 lS 125 275.6 920 7.4 676 2. 7 32.0 . 256 19.86 .079 2.00 2.36 275 68 30 67 29 20 150 330.7 1020 6.8 738 2.4 36.5 .243 22.58 .07S 1.94 2.26 330 61 25 65 26 2S 175 385.8 1110 6.3 659 1.9 40.8 .233 24,85 .071 1.89 1.84 385 62 23 . 57 21 200 440.9 1200 6.0 832 1.8 44.9 .225 40.43 .089 1.86 1.43 440 69 23 59 20 250 551.1 1360 5.4 52.7 .211 300 661.4 1500 s.o 60.1 .200 3SO 771.6 1640 4.7 67.2 .192 400 881.8 1760 4.4 74.0 .185 450 992.1 1880 4.2 80.5 .179 500 1102.0 2000 4,0 86.9 .174 63 64 ~ 67 56 66 61 t"' 60 61 t_zj 68 62 ?< "'d l%j p:i ...... ~ l%j z >-3 u:i ""3 > >-3 -0 z RESEARCH BULLETIN 349 11 Cardio-respiratory Activities.-The volume and shape of the respiration curve, shown in Fig. 7, indicate, as might be expected, that both respiration volume and frequency are less in the thyroidectomized animal. Table 2 shows that the ventilation rate (volume of air inhaled per minute) is less in the thyroidectomized animal, paralleling the oxygen consumption (metabolism). The percentage oxygen removed from the inhaled air is, within the limits of error, the same in thyroidectomized and normal animals. Table 2 shows that the pulse rate per square meter surface area in the thyroidectomized animal is somewhat lower than in the control. However, surface area is not a proper reference base for pulse rate. We have no good reference base for pulse rate for animals differing in size. The Influence of Iodized Protein on the Thyroidectomized Animal.-On December 2, 1941, T5 was started on a "thyro-lactin"1 (iodized-milk protein) feeding experiment.2 Her meta-bolic rate was increased, by proper dosage, to 2250 Cal./ sq. meter/ day within a week, and kept at this level thereafter. TABLE 3. THE INFLUENCE OF "THYROLACTIN" FEEDING ON SEVERAL MEASUREMENTS OF T5 Weight Height at withers Heart girth Width of hips Horns (tip to tip) Dec. 2 480 lbs. 41 in. 54 in. 14.4 in. 9.6 in. Feb, 21 452 lbs. 41 in. 54 in. 14.6 in. 10.6 in. April 14 497 lbs. 44 in. 55 in. 15.2 in. 11.6 in. May 23 526 lbs. 45 in. 57 in. 15.6 in. 12.2 in. The appearance of T5 is now (June 1) quite changed. , The hair coat is no longer rough and coarse. She appears more feminine. There has been considerable development of mammary gland and horn. She has gained 46 lbs. since December 2, and has increased in body length and weight. Before feeding the "thyrolactin" she had never been in heat, but has exhibited heat twice since then. 1Heathman, W. W., and Turner, C. W., J . Dairy Sc., 23, 534, 1940. Reineke, E. P., Williamson, M. B., and Turner, C. W., J . Biol. Chem. 143, 285, 1942. 2This feeding was done under the direction of Dr. E . P. Reineke. 

Age changes in size, energy metabolism and cardio-respiratory activities of thyroidectomized cattle

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