Über hormonale Wärmeregulation

Summary

The body temperature of thyroidectomized guinea pigs rises in a thermostat at 34–35° C higher and for a longer period than that of normal controls. Administration of thyroxine does not only not eliminate the observed effect of thyroidectomy, but the hight and duration of the rise of body temperature increases still further. It is concluded therefore that the observed effect is not due to thyroxine deficiency, but to lack of thermothyrine A, the antagonistic hormone of the thyroid described byMansfeld. Experiments during administration of methylthiouracil gave similar—though less marked, nevertheless significant—results and demonstrate that thiouracil inhibits not only thyroxine production but the formation of thermothyrine A as well. The fact—found byMansfeld—that in case of lack of thyroid-colloid both thermothyrines increase instead of decreasing O₂ consumption and accelerate the heartbeat suggests the possibility that thermothyrine may play a role in the symptomatology of Grave's disease, and so the present experiments may have a bearing on the therapeutic action of thiouracil.