Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T04:57:44.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of endemic goitre areas on thyroid hormones in horses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2010

P. Medica ,
E. Fazio ,
C. Cravana  and
A. Ferlazzo
P. Medica*
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
E. Fazio
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
C. Cravana
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
A. Ferlazzo
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate thyroid hormone levels in horses stabled in two different locations on the island of Sicily. The study was carried out on a total of 72 clinically healthy Sanfratellano horses ranging in age from 5 to 9 years and weighing 585 ± 40 kg. The results showed higher thyroxine values (P < 0.02) in horses stabled in an endemic goitre area (group II) than those observed in horses in a non-endemic area (group I). Unexpectedly, the T4/T3 and the fT4/fT3 rations were both lower in group I than in group II. The percentages of fT4 to T4 and of fT3 to T3 were both higher in group I than the percentages for group II. On the basis of gender, comparison between the two groups showed higher T4 (P < 0.01) and fT4 levels (P < 0.001) in males, and lower fT3 (P < 0.001) and fT4 levels (P < 0.005) in females stabled in the goitre endemic area. On the basis of age, younger horses (<7 years old) showed the highest thyroid hormone levels in both groups. Results suggest a physiological adaptive response of the equine species to an endemic goitre environment. The possibility that hypothyroidism is present in these horses is thus excluded and is supported not only by the lack of clinical signs, but also by the rarity of cases previously reported.

Keywords

iodothyroninesendemic goitre areahorses
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 82 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, AL, Fretz, PB, Card, CE, Doige, CE 1998. The effects of partial thyroidectomy on the development of the equine fetus. Equine Veterinary Journal 30, 53–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, RR, Nixon, DA, Akasha, MA 1988. Total and free thyroxine and triiodothyronine in blood serum of mammals. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology (A) 89, 401–404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baker, JR, Wyn-Jones, G, Eley, JL 1983. Case of equine goitre. The Veterinary Record 112, 407–408.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bird, JA, Clarke, L, Symonds, ME 1998. Influence of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone on thermoregulation in newborn lambs. Biology of the Neonate 73, 52–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breuhaus, BA 2002. Thyroid-stimulating hormone in adult euthyroid and hypothyroid horses. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 16, 109–115.Google ScholarPubMed
Chen, CL, Riley, AM 1981. Serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations in neonatal foals and mature horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 42, 1415–1417.Google ScholarPubMed
Duckett, WM 1998. Thyroid gland. In Equine internal medicine (ed. SM Reed and WM Bayly), pp. 917–923. Saunders, Philadelphia, USA.Google Scholar
Duckett, WM, Manning, JP, Weston, PG 1989. Thyroid hormone periodicity in healthy adult geldings. Equine Veterinary Journal 21, 123–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Durham, AE 1995. Congenital goitre in two colt foals born to mares fed excess iodine during pregnancy. Equine Veterinary Education 7, 239–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fazio, E, Medica, P, Cravana, C, Messineo, C, Ferlazzo, A 2007. Total and free iodothyronines levels of growing Thoroughbred foals: effects of weaning and gender. Livestock Science 110, 207–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frank, N, Sojka, J, IVMesser, NT 2002. Equine thyroid dysfunction. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 18, 305–319.Google ScholarPubMed
Graves, EA, IISchott, HC 2002. Thyroid function in horses with peripheral Cushing’s syndrome. Proceedings of the Annual Convention American Association Equine Practioners 48, 178–180.Google Scholar
Helmreich, DL, Crouch, M, Dorr, NP, Parfitt, DB 2006. Peripheral triiodothyronine (T3) levels during escapable and inescapable footshock. Physiology & Behavior 87, 114–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hetzel, BS, Mano, MT 1989. A review of experimental studies of iodine deficiency during fetal development. Journal of Nutrition 119, 145–151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvine, CHG, Evans, MJ 1975. Post-natal changes in total and free thyroxine and triiodothyronine in foal serum. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 23, 709–715.Google Scholar
Kallfelz, FA, Lowe, JE 1970. Some normal values of thyroid function in horses. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 156, 1888–1891.Google ScholarPubMed
Komosa, M, Flisińska-Bojanowska, A, Gill, J 1990. Development of diurnal rhythm in some metabolic parameters in foals. Comparative Biochemistry Physiology – Part A: Physiology 95, 549–552.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Long, DT, Voice, TC 2007. Role of exposure analysis in solving the mystery of balkan endemic nephropathy. Croatian Medical Journal 48, 300–311.Google ScholarPubMed
Maberly, GF 1994. Iodine deficiency disorders: contemporary scientific issues. Journal of Nutrition 124, 1473S–1478S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malinowski, K, Christensen, RA, Hafs, HD, Scanes, CG 1996. Age and breed differences in thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding proteins in female horses. Journal Animal Science 74, 1936–1942.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGuire, MA, Beede, DK, Collier, RJ, Buonomo, FC, DeLorenzo, MA, Wilcox, CJ, Huntington, GB, Reynolds, CK 1991. Effects of acute thermal stress and amount feed intake on concentrations of somatotropin, insuline-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II, and thyroid hormones in plasma of lactating Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 69, 2050–2056.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Messer, NT, Johnson, PJ 2007. Evidence-based literature pertaining to thyroid dysfunction and Cushing’s syndrome in the horse. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 23, 329–364.Google ScholarPubMed
Messer, NT, Ganjam, VK, Nachreiner, RF, Krause, GF 1995. Effect of dexamethasone administration on serum thyroid hormone concentrations in clinically normal horses. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 206, 63–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osame, S, Ichijo, S 1994. Clinicopathological observations on thoroughbred foals with enlarged thyroid gland. The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 56, 771–772.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pugliese, M, Medica, P, Scardillo, A, Parisi, F, Fazio, E 2007. Thyroid function evaluation in Valle del Belice sheep affected by congenital hypotricosis. Proceedings 15th International Congress of Mediterranean Federation for Healthy and Production of Ruminants, Kuşadasi, Türkiye, pp. 244–249.Google Scholar
Ramirez, S, McClure, JJ, Moore, RM, Wolfsheimer, KJ, Gaunt, SD, Mirza, MH, Taylor, W 1998. Hyperthyroidism associated with a thyroid adenocarcinoma in a 21 year-old-gelding. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 12, 475–477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reap, M, Cass, C, Hightower, D 1978. Thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels in ten species of animals. Southwest Veterinarian 31, 31–34.Google Scholar
Schantz, SL, Widholm, JJ 2001. Cognitive effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in animals. Environmental Health Perspectives 109, 1197–1206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sojka, JE 1995. Hypothyroidism in horses. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian 17, 845–852.Google Scholar
Sojka, JE, Johnson, MA, Bottoms, GD 1993. Serum triiodothyronine, total thyroxine, and free thyroxine concentrations in horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 52–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Squatrito, S, Delange, F, Trimarchi, F, Lisi, E, Vigneri, R 1981. Endemic cretinism in Sicily. Journal Endocrinology Investigation 4, 295–302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tan, RHH, Davies, SE, Crisman, MV, Coyle, L, Daniel, GB 2008. Propylthiouracil for treatment of hyperthyroidism in a horse. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 22, 1253–1258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vermiglio, F, Finocchiaro, MD, Lo Presti, VP, La Torre, N, Nucifora, M, Trimarchi, F 1989. Partial beneficial effects of the so called “silent iodine prophylaxis” on iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in Northeastern Sicily endemia. Journal Endocrinology Investigation 12, 123–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vermiglio, F, Sidoti, M, Finocchiaro, MD, Battiato, S, Lo Presti, VP, Benvenga, S, Trimarchi, F 1990. Defective neuromotor and cognitive ability in iodine-deficient schoolchildren of an endemic goiter region in Sicily. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 70, 379–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vermiglio, F, Lo Presti, VP, Scaffidi Argentina, G, Finocchiaro, MD, Gullo, D, Squatrito, S, Trimarchi, F 1995. Maternal hypothyroxinaemia during the first half of gestation in an iodine deficient area with endemic cretinism and related disorders. Clinical Endocrinology 42, 409–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vigneri, R 1988. Studies on the goiter endemia in Sicily. Journal Endocrinology Investigation 11, 831–843.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed