Effects of a ß -Adrenergic Agonist on Growth Performance and Protein Metabolism in Broilers Treated with or without an Antithyroid Substance

Abstract

To determine the interrelationship between thyroid status and the reparitioning action of clenbuterol (CLE) in broilers, two-week-old female chickens were fed diets containing an antithyroid substance, propylthiouracil (PTU, 0 or 0.3%), CLE (0 or 1 mg/kg), or both for 18 days in a 2×2 factorial design experiment. Muscle weights (breast muscle, gastrocnemius and peroneus longus) increased only in the normal chickens fed CLE, As absolute mass, protein of leg muscle quantitatively increased in the CLE-fed normal birds. In contrast, inhibition of the CLE-induced protein accretion, especially of peroneus longus, occured in the PTU group. A quantitative increase in DNA was observed in leg muscles of the normal chickens, but no DNA response to CLE was shown in the PTU-treated chickens. The decreased RNA in leg muscles of the PTU group was more reduced by CLE feeding. Although not statistically significant, the reduced degradation rate of whole muscle protein in normal chickens fed CLE was not confirmed in the PTU-fed group. The present study, therefore, concluded that metabolic action of thyroid hormones was a prerequisite for the hypertrophic effect of ß -agonist in broilers.