1994 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 181-188
Experiments were carried out to investigate whether the autotransplantation of thyroid glands could be used as a substitute for long-term replacement administration of thyroid hormones in thyroidectomized chicken.
Male chicks (White Leghorn, Shaver strain) were thyroidectomized at 10-11 days old and the removed glands were immediately autotransplanted into the hypodermis of anterior and posterior region of breast and central region of back.
The autotransplanted chicks grew normally during 42 days from the 24-25 to 66-68th day of the autotransplantation. The autotransplanted thyroid glands secreted the same level of thyroid hormone as control (sham operated chicks) on the 49-50th day, regardless of the region where the glands were autotransplanted. However, the shape and the size of the follicles in the autotransplanted glands at posterior breast and central back were remarkably different from those of the control on the 66-68th day of autotransplantation, in contrast to those of the thyroidal follicle at anterior breast, which was similar to the control.
From these results, it was shown that autotransplantation of thyroid glands into the hypodermis of anterior breast can be used as a substitute long-term replacement administration of thyroid hormones.