Further observations on the teratogenic action of the thyroid stimulating hormone Supported by Public Health Service Research grant HD-00400 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Abstract

Pregnant Wistar Albino rats were injected intraperitoneally with the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), obtained from several different suppliers, and with the dye trypan blue. Twenty USP units of TSH were injected on days 7 to 10 of pregnancy, one quarter of the total dose each day. Trypan blue was injected as a single subteratogenic dose (0.6 mg/100 gm maternal body weight) on day 8. Autopsy was on day 20. Some TSH prepared as a pituitary extract possessed very weak teratogenic activity, possibly limited to the production of hydronephrosis and hydroureter. Other TSH samples similarly prepared had no embryotoxic or teratogenic effect. Thyrotropin prepared from bovine serum exhibited distinct teratogenic activity causing the production of various malformations in the offspring of treated mothers. A subteratogenic dose of trypan blue enhanced the teratogenic activity of the serum prepared TSH sample but had no effect on TSH prepared from pituitary glands. The results of this experiment suggest that there is something in the nature of preparation of TSH from bovine serum that causes it to possess teratogenic activity.