Thyroid hormones and muscle metabolism in dogs

Muscle contents of ATP, ADP, AMP, creatine phosphate and creatine as well as glycogen, some glycolytic intermediates, pyruvate and lactate were compared in the intact, thyroidectomized and triiodothyronine (T3) treated dogs under resting conditions. After thyroidectomy muscle glycogen, glucose 1-phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate contents were significantly elevated while in T3-treated animals these variables were decreased in comparison with control dogs. Muscle free glucose was not altered by thyroidectomy but T3 treatment significantly increased its content. Muscle lactate content was elevated both in hypo- and hyperthyroid animals. Muscle ATP and total adenine nucleotide contents were significantly increased in hyperthyroid dogs while no differences were found between the three groups in the muscle creatine phosphate content. It is assumed that in T3-treated animals carbohydrate catabolism is enhanced in the resting skeletal muscle in spite of high tissue ATP content. Muscle metabolite alterations in hypothyroid dogs seem to reflect the hypometabolism accompanied by a diminished rate of glycogenolysis with inhibited rate of pyruvate oxidation or decreased rate of lactate removal from the cells.