[Character of the changes in the thyroid gland of animals maintained on a vegetable oil diet]

The effect produced by different quantities of sunflower seed oil on some iodine metabolic rates was studied in experiments on 44 albino male-rats. Rations containing 27 and 54 per cent (in terms of calorific value) of sunflower seed oil were found to have an adverse effect on the condition of the thyroid gland. Rations with the said quantities of vegetable oil inhibit the mechanisms governing the transformation of inorganic and hormonally inactive organic compounds of iodine in its hormonally active forms. With the iodine content in the diet in an amount of 40-80 microgram this circumstance, however, does not have any essential effect on the level of the iodine binding by the thyroid tissue proteins and blood serum.