The systolic blood pressures of two groups of rats that were exposed to cold (5 °C) for 4 weeks were elevated significantly above that of warm-acclimated controls maintained at 24 °C. At this time these groups were given the antithyroid drug aminotriazole in their food at 0.3 g/kg. At the same time, one group was given 15.8 μg thyroxine (T4)/kg body mass per day, while the second received 31.6. The doses were chosen as replacement (15.8 μg/kg) and twice replacement (31.8 μg/kg) for the rats. The results of the study revealed that both groups receiving aminotriazole and T4 had reductions in blood pressure within 1 week of initiation of treatment. Blood pressures reached control level after 5 weeks. Cardiac hypertrophy accompanying cold-induced hypertension was reduced with the lower dose of T4 and prevented with the higher dose. Serum concentrations of T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) in the two treated groups were reduced, while serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration and thyroid mass were increased above that of the warm-acclimated control group. This suggests that the rats were hypothyroid relative to the warm-acclimated control group. However, the treated rats grew at the same rate as nontreated, cold-exposed controls and had similar food and water intakes, a similar dipsogenic response to acute administration of isoproterenol, and similar colonic temperatures. These measurements suggest that the rats were not functionally hypothyroid. Nevertheless, the results suggest that a paradigm in which the secretory ability of the thyroid gland is blocked, and T4 is returned at a constant, albeit suboptimal, level, reduced blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in cold-exposed rats. Hence, the increased turnover of thyroid hormones that characteristically accompanies exposure to cold plays a role in these changes. These studies also indicate that an increase in the rate of secretion of T4 is not required for survival in cold air.Key words: cold-induced hypertension, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, aminotriazole, antithyroid drug, blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, catecholamines, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine.
High thyroid-stimulating hormone level in down's syndrome: A mere resetting of hypothalamopituitary axis in subclinical hypothyroidism?