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The Effect of Thyroprotein, Thiouracil and Cortisone on the Feather Pigmentation of Turkey Poults
PROTEIN, FAT AND C: P RATIO
Exp. Sta. Bui. 678. Hill, F. W., and L. M. Dansky, 1950. Studies on the protein requirement of chicks and its relation to dietary energy levels. Poultry Sci. 29: 763. Hill, F. W., and L. M. Dansky, 1954. Studies on the energy requirements of chickens. Poultry Sci. 33: 112-119. Leong, K. C , M. L. Sunde, H. R. Bird and C. A. Elvehjem, 1955. Effect of energy:protein ratio on growth rate, efficiency, feathering, and fat deposition in chickens. Poultry Sci. 34:1206. Matterson, L. D., L. M. Potter, L. D. Stinson and E. P. Singsen, 1955. Studies on the effect of varying protein and energy levels in poultry rations on growth and feed efficiency. Poultry Sci. 34: 1210. Scott, H. M., L. D. Matterson and E. P. Singsen, 1947. Nutritional factors influencing growth and efficiency of feed utilization 1. The effect of the source of carbohydrate. Poultry Sci. 26: 554. Scott, M. L., 1956. Composition of turkey meat. J. Amer. Dietetic Assoc. 32: 941-944. Sunde, M. L., 1956. A relationship between protein level and energy level in chick rations. Poultry Sci. 35: 350-354.
The Effect of Thyroprotein, Thiouracil and Cortisone on the Feather Pigmentation of Turkey Poults PRAN VOHRA AND F. H. KRATZER Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of California, Davis, California (Received for publication July 29, 1957)
T
URKEY poults (Fritz et al., 1946), chickens (Klain et al., 1957) and rats (Vohra and Kratzer, 1956) have been shown to exhibit achromatosis when fed a lysine deficient diet. The melanin pigments of adult Brown Leghorn feathers are very sensitive to the administration of estrogen and the thyroid hormone (Trinkaus, 1953) but the estrogen effect is not manifested in thyroidectomized adult birds (Blivaiss, 1947 a,b). Estrogen administration, thyroidectomy or the administration of thyroxine is without effect on the juvenile flight and tail feathers of chicks (Trinkaus, 1950). Feeding thioura-
cil has been reported to cause the same changes as thyroidectomy in chickens (Juhn, 1946). In rats which were made gray by being fed a pantothenic acid deficient diet, adrenalectomy caused a transitory improvement in coat pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1943) while the injections of desoxycorticosterone acetate, following adrenalectomy, inhibited pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1945). The administration of cortisone resulted in the suppression of both adrenal activity (Stebbins, 1950) and thyroid activity in rats (BrownGrant, 1955).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
methionine requirement of the chick. Poultry Sci. 34:1301-1307. Baldini, J. T., and H. R. Rosenberg, 1957. The effect of calorie source in a chick diet on growth, feed utilization, and body composition. Poultry Sci. 36:432-435. Cochran, W. G., and G. M. Cox, 1950. Experimental Designs. 4th reprint. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York. Combs, G. F., and G. L. Romoser, 1955. A new approach to poultry feed formulation. Maryland Agr. Exp. Sta. Misc. Pub. No. 226. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs, G. L. Romoser and W. G. Supplee, 1955. Body composition, energy intake, feed efficiency, growth rate, and feather condition of growing chickens as influenced by Calorie-protein ratio of the ration. Poultry Sci. 34: 1190. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs and G. L. Romoser, 1956. Studies on energy levels in poultry rations. 1. The effect of calorie-protein ratio of the ration on growth, nutrient utilization and body composition of chicks. Poultry Sci. 35: 1100-1105. Fraps, G. S., 1946. Composition and productive energy of poultry feeds and rations. Texas Agr.
151
152
P . VOHRA AND F . H . K R A T Z E R
TABLE 1.—The effect of thyroprotein, thiouracil and cortisone on growth and feather pigmentation of normal and lysine-deficient poults
Diet
Treatment
none none none thyroprotein 0.001% thyroprotein 0.0025% cortisone 10 mg./day none thiouracil 0 . 1 % cortisone 10 mg./day
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
none thyroprotein 0.005% thyroprotein 0 . 1 % none thiouracil 0 . 1 % thiouracil 0 . 2 %
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
none thyroprotein 0 . 2 % none thiouracil 0 . 2 %
Trial 1 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 Trial Z 17 17 17 17 17 17 Trial 3 19 19 17 17
% average daily gain per bird
Birds survived Birds started
Color score
2.37 2.85 2.57 2.18 1.87 2.48 5.90 4.90 5.50
9/10 10/10 7/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 11/11 10/10 10/10
3.9 3.9 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2.60 2.28 2.66 5.64 5.05 4.85
10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10
4.0 3.2 3.4 0.0 0.9 0.4
3.20 2.72 5.90 5.30
7/ 8 5/ 5 9/ 9 10/10
4.0 4.0 0.2 0.0
The color score varies from 0 to 4 for the black to the white emerging feather follicles.
In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of administering thyroprotein (iodinated casein, trade name Protamone), thiouracil and cortisone to Broad Breasted Bronze turkey poults on the pigmentation of their flight feathers. The poults were sexed at hatching and kept on a poult starting ration for 1 to 3 days before starting on experimental rations. As far as possible, equal number of males and females were started in each group on each treatment. There has appeared to be no sexual differences in the incidence of white bar in poults on a lysine deficient diet in our studies extending over a few years. The primary interest of the present investigation was on the pigmentation of flight feathers and the data on the weight gains of the birds were only incidental to it. The levels of thyroprotein varied from 0.001 to 0.2% and those of thiouracil from 0.1 to 0.2% in the lysine-deficient and lysine-supplemented diets, respectively. A
saline suspension (0.2 c.c.) of Merck's cortone acetate (Veterinary) containing 50 mg. of cortisone acetate per c.c. was injected into the leg or breast muscle of the birds. Both, lysine-deficient and lysine-supplemented poults received injections of 10 mg. cortisone on the 4th day and similar injections of 10 mg. cortisone were given daily from the 7 th to 15 th day. A total of 100 mg. cortisone was injected into each bird over the experimental period. The data (Table 1) indicate that the depigmentation of feathers on a lysine-deficient diet was not affected by feeding of as much as 0.2% thyroprotein. Also, feeding thiouracil to lysine-supplemented poults failed to cause depigmentation. The administration of cortisone failed to improve pigmentation in lysine-deficient poults and was also ineffective in reducing pigmentation in lysine-supplemented poults. The role of thyroid gland in depigmentation due to lysine deficiency ap-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
Duration of trial, days
HORMONES AND FEATHER PIGMENT
peared doubtful because Kratzer et al. (1954) found that the weight of thyroid glands per 100 gm. body weight of lysine deficient and lysine supplemented poults were of the same order. The feeding of 0.01% thyroprotein (Protamone) to the poults fed a ration slightly deficient in lysine did not improve pigmentation of their feathers but markedly reduced their thyroid weights. SUMMARY
ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are thankful to The Lederle Laboratories Division, American Cyanamid Company, Pearl River, New York; The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan and Merck and Company, Inc., Rah way, New Jersey, for the donations of amino acids, vitamins and hormones. REFERENCES Blivaiss, B. B., 1947a. Interrelation of thyroid and gonad in the development of plumage and other sex characters in the Brown Leghorn roosters. Physiology Zool. 20: 67-107. Blivaiss, B. B., 1947b. Development of secondary sexual characters in the thyroidectomized Brown Leghorn hen. J. Exp. Zool. 104:267-310. Brown-Grant, K., 1955. Inhibition of the release of thyroidal radioiodine in the rat by cortisone. Endocrin. 56: 607-609.
Fritz, J. C , J. H. Hooper, J. L. Halpin and H. P. Moore, 1946. Failure of feather pigmentation in bronze poults due to lysine deficiency. J. Nutrition, 31:387-396. Juhn, M., 1946. Effect of thiouracil on the juvenile plumage of Brown Leghorn fowl. Endocrin. 39: 14-22. Klain, G. J., D. C. Hill, J. A. Gray and H. D. Branion, 1957. Achromatosis in the feathers of chicks fed lysine-deficient diets. J. Nutrition, 61: 317-328. Kratzer, F. H., P. N. Davis, D. E. Williams and B. J. Marshall, 1954. Factors influencing the growth of chicks and poults fed rations containing rapeseed oil meal. J. Nutrition, 53: 407-418. Ralli, E. P., and I. Graef, 1943. Stimulating effect of adrenalectomy on hair growth and melanin deposition in black rats fed diets adequate and deficient in the filtrate factors of vitamin B. Endocrin. 32: 1-12. Ralli, E. P., and I. Graef, 1945. The effect of the synthetic and natural hormone of the adrenal cortex on melanin deposition in adrenalectomized black rats fed a diet adequate and deficient in the filtrate factors of vitamin B. Endocrin. 37: 352361. Stebbins, R. B., 1950. Cytochemical changes in the adrenal cortex of the rat following the administration of cortisone. Federation Proc. 9:345. Trinkaus, J. P., 1950. Role of thyroid hormone in melanoblast differentiation in the Brown Leghorn. J. Exp. Zool. 113:149-178. Trinkaus, J. P., 1953. Pigment Cell Growth. Academic Press Inc., New York. Pp. 73-91. Vohra, P., and F. H. Kratzer, 1956. Graying of hair in rats fed a ration deficient in lysine. Science, 124:1145. Vohra, P., and F. H. Kratzer, 1957. The essential nature of lysine in the prevention of feather depigmentation of turkey poults. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 68: 76-80.
NEWS AND NOTES {Continued from page 128) Delta, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi honorary fraternities. MICHIGAN NOTES J. M. Moore, Poultry Extension Specialist at Michigan State University, retired effective January 1st. Born in Burnbrae, Ontario, Canada, he obtained a B.S.A. degree at the Ontario Agricultural College (University of Toronto) in 1923 and a M.S. degree
at Kansas State College in 1925. From 1915 to 1918 he served with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during World War 1. He was employed at the Michigan Egg Laying Contest from 1923 to 1924, and from 1924 to 1925 was Assistant in Poultry Research at Kansas State College. In 1925 he became Extension Poultryman at Michigan State College, and in 1928 was made Assistant in Poultry Research. In 1936 he was made
{Continued on page 200)
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
The administration of thyroprotein, thiouracil and cortisone to the turkey poults did not affect the pigmentation of their flight feathers.
153
Exp. Sta. Bui. 678. Hill, F. W., and L. M. Dansky, 1950. Studies on the protein requirement of chicks and its relation to dietary energy levels. Poultry Sci. 29: 763. Hill, F. W., and L. M. Dansky, 1954. Studies on the energy requirements of chickens. Poultry Sci. 33: 112-119. Leong, K. C , M. L. Sunde, H. R. Bird and C. A. Elvehjem, 1955. Effect of energy:protein ratio on growth rate, efficiency, feathering, and fat deposition in chickens. Poultry Sci. 34:1206. Matterson, L. D., L. M. Potter, L. D. Stinson and E. P. Singsen, 1955. Studies on the effect of varying protein and energy levels in poultry rations on growth and feed efficiency. Poultry Sci. 34: 1210. Scott, H. M., L. D. Matterson and E. P. Singsen, 1947. Nutritional factors influencing growth and efficiency of feed utilization 1. The effect of the source of carbohydrate. Poultry Sci. 26: 554. Scott, M. L., 1956. Composition of turkey meat. J. Amer. Dietetic Assoc. 32: 941-944. Sunde, M. L., 1956. A relationship between protein level and energy level in chick rations. Poultry Sci. 35: 350-354.
The Effect of Thyroprotein, Thiouracil and Cortisone on the Feather Pigmentation of Turkey Poults PRAN VOHRA AND F. H. KRATZER Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of California, Davis, California (Received for publication July 29, 1957)
T
URKEY poults (Fritz et al., 1946), chickens (Klain et al., 1957) and rats (Vohra and Kratzer, 1956) have been shown to exhibit achromatosis when fed a lysine deficient diet. The melanin pigments of adult Brown Leghorn feathers are very sensitive to the administration of estrogen and the thyroid hormone (Trinkaus, 1953) but the estrogen effect is not manifested in thyroidectomized adult birds (Blivaiss, 1947 a,b). Estrogen administration, thyroidectomy or the administration of thyroxine is without effect on the juvenile flight and tail feathers of chicks (Trinkaus, 1950). Feeding thioura-
cil has been reported to cause the same changes as thyroidectomy in chickens (Juhn, 1946). In rats which were made gray by being fed a pantothenic acid deficient diet, adrenalectomy caused a transitory improvement in coat pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1943) while the injections of desoxycorticosterone acetate, following adrenalectomy, inhibited pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1945). The administration of cortisone resulted in the suppression of both adrenal activity (Stebbins, 1950) and thyroid activity in rats (BrownGrant, 1955).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
methionine requirement of the chick. Poultry Sci. 34:1301-1307. Baldini, J. T., and H. R. Rosenberg, 1957. The effect of calorie source in a chick diet on growth, feed utilization, and body composition. Poultry Sci. 36:432-435. Cochran, W. G., and G. M. Cox, 1950. Experimental Designs. 4th reprint. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York. Combs, G. F., and G. L. Romoser, 1955. A new approach to poultry feed formulation. Maryland Agr. Exp. Sta. Misc. Pub. No. 226. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs, G. L. Romoser and W. G. Supplee, 1955. Body composition, energy intake, feed efficiency, growth rate, and feather condition of growing chickens as influenced by Calorie-protein ratio of the ration. Poultry Sci. 34: 1190. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs and G. L. Romoser, 1956. Studies on energy levels in poultry rations. 1. The effect of calorie-protein ratio of the ration on growth, nutrient utilization and body composition of chicks. Poultry Sci. 35: 1100-1105. Fraps, G. S., 1946. Composition and productive energy of poultry feeds and rations. Texas Agr.
151
152
P . VOHRA AND F . H . K R A T Z E R
TABLE 1.—The effect of thyroprotein, thiouracil and cortisone on growth and feather pigmentation of normal and lysine-deficient poults
Diet
Treatment
none none none thyroprotein 0.001% thyroprotein 0.0025% cortisone 10 mg./day none thiouracil 0 . 1 % cortisone 10 mg./day
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
none thyroprotein 0.005% thyroprotein 0 . 1 % none thiouracil 0 . 1 % thiouracil 0 . 2 %
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
none thyroprotein 0 . 2 % none thiouracil 0 . 2 %
Trial 1 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 Trial Z 17 17 17 17 17 17 Trial 3 19 19 17 17
% average daily gain per bird
Birds survived Birds started
Color score
2.37 2.85 2.57 2.18 1.87 2.48 5.90 4.90 5.50
9/10 10/10 7/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 11/11 10/10 10/10
3.9 3.9 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2.60 2.28 2.66 5.64 5.05 4.85
10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10
4.0 3.2 3.4 0.0 0.9 0.4
3.20 2.72 5.90 5.30
7/ 8 5/ 5 9/ 9 10/10
4.0 4.0 0.2 0.0
The color score varies from 0 to 4 for the black to the white emerging feather follicles.
In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of administering thyroprotein (iodinated casein, trade name Protamone), thiouracil and cortisone to Broad Breasted Bronze turkey poults on the pigmentation of their flight feathers. The poults were sexed at hatching and kept on a poult starting ration for 1 to 3 days before starting on experimental rations. As far as possible, equal number of males and females were started in each group on each treatment. There has appeared to be no sexual differences in the incidence of white bar in poults on a lysine deficient diet in our studies extending over a few years. The primary interest of the present investigation was on the pigmentation of flight feathers and the data on the weight gains of the birds were only incidental to it. The levels of thyroprotein varied from 0.001 to 0.2% and those of thiouracil from 0.1 to 0.2% in the lysine-deficient and lysine-supplemented diets, respectively. A
saline suspension (0.2 c.c.) of Merck's cortone acetate (Veterinary) containing 50 mg. of cortisone acetate per c.c. was injected into the leg or breast muscle of the birds. Both, lysine-deficient and lysine-supplemented poults received injections of 10 mg. cortisone on the 4th day and similar injections of 10 mg. cortisone were given daily from the 7 th to 15 th day. A total of 100 mg. cortisone was injected into each bird over the experimental period. The data (Table 1) indicate that the depigmentation of feathers on a lysine-deficient diet was not affected by feeding of as much as 0.2% thyroprotein. Also, feeding thiouracil to lysine-supplemented poults failed to cause depigmentation. The administration of cortisone failed to improve pigmentation in lysine-deficient poults and was also ineffective in reducing pigmentation in lysine-supplemented poults. The role of thyroid gland in depigmentation due to lysine deficiency ap-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-deficient Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented Lysine-supplemented
Duration of trial, days
HORMONES AND FEATHER PIGMENT
peared doubtful because Kratzer et al. (1954) found that the weight of thyroid glands per 100 gm. body weight of lysine deficient and lysine supplemented poults were of the same order. The feeding of 0.01% thyroprotein (Protamone) to the poults fed a ration slightly deficient in lysine did not improve pigmentation of their feathers but markedly reduced their thyroid weights. SUMMARY
ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are thankful to The Lederle Laboratories Division, American Cyanamid Company, Pearl River, New York; The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan and Merck and Company, Inc., Rah way, New Jersey, for the donations of amino acids, vitamins and hormones. REFERENCES Blivaiss, B. B., 1947a. Interrelation of thyroid and gonad in the development of plumage and other sex characters in the Brown Leghorn roosters. Physiology Zool. 20: 67-107. Blivaiss, B. B., 1947b. Development of secondary sexual characters in the thyroidectomized Brown Leghorn hen. J. Exp. Zool. 104:267-310. Brown-Grant, K., 1955. Inhibition of the release of thyroidal radioiodine in the rat by cortisone. Endocrin. 56: 607-609.
Fritz, J. C , J. H. Hooper, J. L. Halpin and H. P. Moore, 1946. Failure of feather pigmentation in bronze poults due to lysine deficiency. J. Nutrition, 31:387-396. Juhn, M., 1946. Effect of thiouracil on the juvenile plumage of Brown Leghorn fowl. Endocrin. 39: 14-22. Klain, G. J., D. C. Hill, J. A. Gray and H. D. Branion, 1957. Achromatosis in the feathers of chicks fed lysine-deficient diets. J. Nutrition, 61: 317-328. Kratzer, F. H., P. N. Davis, D. E. Williams and B. J. Marshall, 1954. Factors influencing the growth of chicks and poults fed rations containing rapeseed oil meal. J. Nutrition, 53: 407-418. Ralli, E. P., and I. Graef, 1943. Stimulating effect of adrenalectomy on hair growth and melanin deposition in black rats fed diets adequate and deficient in the filtrate factors of vitamin B. Endocrin. 32: 1-12. Ralli, E. P., and I. Graef, 1945. The effect of the synthetic and natural hormone of the adrenal cortex on melanin deposition in adrenalectomized black rats fed a diet adequate and deficient in the filtrate factors of vitamin B. Endocrin. 37: 352361. Stebbins, R. B., 1950. Cytochemical changes in the adrenal cortex of the rat following the administration of cortisone. Federation Proc. 9:345. Trinkaus, J. P., 1950. Role of thyroid hormone in melanoblast differentiation in the Brown Leghorn. J. Exp. Zool. 113:149-178. Trinkaus, J. P., 1953. Pigment Cell Growth. Academic Press Inc., New York. Pp. 73-91. Vohra, P., and F. H. Kratzer, 1956. Graying of hair in rats fed a ration deficient in lysine. Science, 124:1145. Vohra, P., and F. H. Kratzer, 1957. The essential nature of lysine in the prevention of feather depigmentation of turkey poults. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 68: 76-80.
NEWS AND NOTES {Continued from page 128) Delta, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi honorary fraternities. MICHIGAN NOTES J. M. Moore, Poultry Extension Specialist at Michigan State University, retired effective January 1st. Born in Burnbrae, Ontario, Canada, he obtained a B.S.A. degree at the Ontario Agricultural College (University of Toronto) in 1923 and a M.S. degree
at Kansas State College in 1925. From 1915 to 1918 he served with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during World War 1. He was employed at the Michigan Egg Laying Contest from 1923 to 1924, and from 1924 to 1925 was Assistant in Poultry Research at Kansas State College. In 1925 he became Extension Poultryman at Michigan State College, and in 1928 was made Assistant in Poultry Research. In 1936 he was made
{Continued on page 200)
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 5, 2015
The administration of thyroprotein, thiouracil and cortisone to the turkey poults did not affect the pigmentation of their flight feathers.
153