
%0 Journal Article
%A R Falconer, Ian 
%T Interrelationships Between the Thyroid Gland and Adrenal Cortex During Fear, Cold and Restraint in the sheep
%J Australian Journal of Biological Sciences
%D 1976/03/01
%V 29
%N 2
%P 117-124
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9760117
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/BI9760117 
%X To examine the relationship between the functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands in sheep, plasma cortisol concentration, concentration of protein-bound 1251 from thyroid vein plasma, heart rate and blood pressure were measured in ewes bearing exteriorized thyroid glands. During these measurements stresses were imposed on the animals: fear induced by pistol shots or by a barking dog, cold by cooling and wetting, and physical restraint by a loose harness. Increases in plasma cortisol concentration of 2-6 jlg/lOO ml were observed with each type of stressor, the response rapidly decreasing with habituation of the animal. Increases in the concentration of protein-bound 1251 from thyroid vein plasma were also observed repeatedly during cooling and wetting, occasionally after the introduction of a barking dog, and during continued restraint. Cooling and wetting was the only stress causing consistent parallel activation of the adrenal cortex and thyroid gland; the other stressors resulted in independent fluctuations of secretions, as indicated by plasma cortisol concentration and concentration of protein-bound 1251 from thyroid vein plasma. No reciprocal relationship between thyroid gland and adrenal cortex activity was detected. 
