Further Studies on Increased Susceptibility to Chloroform Poisoning Produced in the Albino Rat by Injection of Crystalline Thyroxin.

In a previous article (1) evidence was presented of increased susceptibility to chloroform poisoning produced in the albino rat by injection of crystalline thyroxin. The present study was undertaken to obtain data that might throw light on the mechanism of this phenomenon, and was centered on two points. First: Is the increased susceptibility to chloroform poisoning in the hyperthyroid rat due to the fact that the glycogen content of the liver is diminished in the presence of hyperthyroidism? Second: Does a high protein diet afford the same protection against chloroform poisoning to the liver of a hyperthyroid rat that it does to the normal liver? To test the hypothesis that a low glycogen content of the liver is responsible for the increased susceptibility to chloroform poisoning in rats following the administration of thyroxin, the problem was approached in two ways. In one set of experiments an attempt was made to maintain a normal glycogen content of the liver in animals receiving thyroxin, and their susceptibility to chloroform poisoning was then tested. In another series the liver glycogen was reduced by means other than administration of thyroxin, and the susceptibility to chloroform poisoning of this group was contrasted with that of animals whose liver glycogen had been reduced by administration of thyroxin.