Hormonal regulation of thermogenesis in goslings. The effects of blockade with thiouracil and propranolol.

Hormonal regulation of thermogenesis in goslings. The effects of blockade with thiouracil and propranolol. Acta Physiol. Pol. 1977, 28 (1): 51-60. The experiments were carried out on 90 male goslings of White Italian breed. In goslings 5 to 7 and 18 to 21-day-old thiouracil (6 mg/100 g i.p., for 3 consecutive days) diminished the cold-induced increase in the metabolic rate. At the end of 1.5 h exposure to 5 degrees C a small but statistically significant drop of body temperature in the thiouracil-treated goslings was noted. Propranolol treatment (2 mg/kg s.c.) had no clear effect neither on body temperature of cold exposed goslings nor on the cold-induced increase in the metabolic rate. The drug caused a significant decrease in the plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels only in the goslings kept at thermoneutrality. In those exposed to 5 degrees C the plasma FFA levels rose both in the control and propranolol-treated goslings. This suggests that the cold-induced lipolysis in the goslings may be accomplished without mediation of noradrenaline.