Abstract
Summary
Bilateral lesions produced by electrocoagulation in the medial amygdaloid nuclear complex were found to affect pituitary and plasma levels of thyrotropin in the male deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii). Within 3 days after lesions were placed in the medial amygdaloid complex, the pituitary thyrotropin exhibited a significant rise to 22.9 mU/mg from 9.1 mU/mg in intact, control animals while the plasma level in animals with lesions dropped significantly to 8.1 mU/mg from 14.8 mU/mg in control animals. The rise in pituitary and fall in plasma levels of thyrotropin remained at a significant level, compared with control animals, throughout the 16 days of the experiment, although by day 16 there was evidence of a return to normal for this species. The changes in thyrotropin were accompanied by significant decline in thyroid gland weight throughout the experiment.
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