Identifying Positive Cases in an Avian Model of Induced-Thyrotoxicosis

Thyrotoxicosis is a condition of excess circulating thyroid hormones. Maternal thyrotoxicosis has been related to the development craniosynostosis (CS) in approximately 3% births. CS occurs when cranial sutures skull fuse prematurely. However, mechanism for hormone-induced those cases unclear. Currently, we are establishing an avian model thyroxine-induced study these mechanisms. Two groups fertilized chicken eggs were injected with saline or 25 ng T4 (thyroxine) on embryonic days 11 and 15 collected 19 prior hatching. Data from each group including: body mass length, tibia femur liver heart mass, concentrations. Our aimed characterize all possible physiological changes associated our treatment determine subset positive cases. Following thyroxine exposure, 19-day old embryos 4% shorter (p<0.05) corresponding 8% decrease length (p<0.01) 9% compared controls. Measured concentrations 88% higher serum samples following thyroxine-exposure controls (p<0.01). Body, heart, not different between groups. We then able isolate correlation plots based clustering observed anticipated regions. In conclusion results support that there within display expected phenotypes. It this subgroup data focus can be shifted CS.
 Acknowledgment NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (Grant #80NSSC20M0055) Genomics Core Facility WV-INBRE (NIH grant P20GM103434).