Thymic cell activity of thiouracil-treated chicks

Conference · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5457970

Scott, T; Glick, B

Thymus glands of chickens fed a diet containing .1% thiouracil from day of hatch are less well developed than those of controls. Thymus weights are reduced, and the cortical and medullary areas are found to have poor cellularity upon histological examination. Fewer mitotic figures are observed in the thymic cortices of thiouracil-treated chickens, and indications of regression at an early age are noticeable in their medullae. The phytohemmagglutin-M response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) is reduced in thiouracil-fed chicks. However, PBL from thiouracil-treated chicks do not produce lower graft versus host responses (GvH). Thymic cells from 1 and 3 week-old chicks were cultured in vitro with BPMI 1640 medium for short lengths of time. The uptake of /sup 3/H-thymidine (/sup 3/HTdR) was measured after 1 and 4 hr incubation periods at 40/sup 0/C in a humidified 5% CO/sub 2/ atmosphere. There was more uptake of /sup 3/HTdR by thymic cells from control chicks after both 1 and 4 hr of incubation. Autoradiographic studies of thymic cells labeled in vitro with /sup 3/HTdR were also conducted. The T cells from chicks treated with thiouracil from day of hatch are less active than those from control chicks. But the functional ability of the T-cell subpopulation involved in GvH is not altered. A thiouracil-induced hypothyroid state would appear to affect thymic development in young chickens.

• Research Organization: Mississippi State Univ., State College
• OSTI ID: 5457970
• Report Number(s): CONF-8604222-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 45:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201 -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
560301* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Cells-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
ANTIMETABOLITES
ANTITHYROID DRUGS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
AZINES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIRDS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CELL CULTURES
CHICKENS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DIET
DRUGS
FOWL
GRAFT-HOST REACTION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HORMONE ANTAGONISTS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
LYMPHOCYTES
MATERIALS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
SENSITIVITY
SOMATIC CELLS
THIOLS
THIOURACIL
THYMIDINE
THYMUS
THYMUS CELLS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
URACILS
VERTEBRATES