Depressed hypothalamic CRF immunoreactivity in 15 day old thiouracil-treated rats

Depression of thyroid status with thiouracil has been shown to delay the response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis to stress in young rats. In vivo and in vitro bioassay studies have indicated that the hypothalamus is the main site of axis alteration in 15 day old animals. The present study has found a significantly depressed hypothalamic content of immunoassayable corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in thiouracil treated young rats.