Scientific Journal Of King Faisal University
Basic and Applied Sciences

ع

Scientific Journal of King Faisal University / Basic and Applied Sciences

The Effect of the Seasons and Sex on the Structure and Activity of the Thyroid Gland of Dromedary Camels

(Saeed Yassin Al-Ramadan)

Abstract

The dromedary camels are exposed to extreme weather conditions that affect their metabolic performance. The current research aims to study the effects of seasons and sex on the histological features of camel thyroids and T3, T4, and TSH levels. Twenty-eight adult camels were used in this study. The height of the follicular epithelium, the number of the follicles/field, and the diameter of the follicles showed seasonal variations (winter 10.5±0.46 µm, 4.79±2.12, 122±7.0 vs. summer 7.47±0.32 µm, 4.65±2.23, 130±10.0 µm). These parameters were measured in different sexes and found to be (male 9.2±0.66 µm, 5.47±2.0 follicle/field, 119±6.0 µm vs. female 8.4±0.69 µm, 3.16±1.2 follicle/field, 146±17.0 µm). Seasonal differences at the hormonal level were (winter T3: 1.14±0.12 ng/ml, T4: 28.87±1.36 µg/dl, TSH: 3.68±28 MIU/ml vs. summer T3: 0.95±0.10ng/ml, T4: 31.91±2.46µg/dl, TSH: 3.47±0.34MIU/ml). Sexual variations were also recorded in these hormones (males: T3: 1.37±0.34 ng/ml, T4: 30.14±2.45 µg/dl, TSH: 2.28±0.35 MIU/ml vs. females: T3: 1.06±0.06 ng/ml, T4: 25.8±2.20µg/dl, TSH: 3.93±0.20 MIU/ml). In conclusion, this study sheds some light on aspects of the changes in camel thyroids. There is still much to be done to discover more characteristics of this animal and how it adapts to the desert environment.

KEYWORDS
Camel, thyroid gland, thyroid stimulating hormone triiodothyronine and thyroxine

PDF

References

Abdel‐Magied, E.M., Taha, A.A.M. and Abdalla, A.B. (2000). Light and electron microscopic study of the thyroid gland of the camel (Camelus dromedarius). Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia, 29(6), 331–6. 
Adhikary, G. N., Quasem, M.A. and Das, S.K. (2003). Histological observation of thyroid gland at Prepubertal, Pubertal and Castracted Black Bengal Goat. Pakistan Journal of biological Sciences, 6(11), 998–1004.
Ali, S. A., El-Sayed, S. A., Goda, N.I.A. and Beheiry, R.R. (2020). Morphological characteristics of the goat thyroid glands among summer and winter seasons. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci, 8(3), 252–9.
Allali, K. E., Achaâban, M.R., Bothorel, B., Piro, M., Bouâouda, H., Allouchi, M. E., ... & Pévet, P. (2013). Entrainment of the circadian clock by daily ambient temperature cycles in the camel (Camelus dromedarius). American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 304(11), 1044–52.
Atoji, Y., Yamamoto, Y., Suzuki, Y. and Sayed, R. (1999). Ultrastructure of the Thyroid Gland of the One‐humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius). Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia, 28(1), 23–6.
Bancroft, J.D. and Cook, H.C. (1994). Manual of histological techniques and their diagnostic application. London, UK: Churchill Livingstone.
Banks, W. J. (1993). Applied Veterinary Histology. Missouri, USA: Mosby-Year Book, Inc. St. Louis.
Banu, K.S. and Aruldhas, M.M. (2002). Sex steroids regulate TSH-induced thyroid growth during sexual maturation in Wistar rats. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, 110(01), 37–42.
Bouâouda, H., Achâaban, M.R., Ouassat, M., Oukassou, M., Piro, M., Challet, E., Alali, K. & Pévet, P. (2014). Daily regulation of body temperature rhythm in the camel (Camelus dromedarius) exposed to experimental desert conditions. Physiological Reports, 2(9), e12151.
Cramer, W. and Ludford, R.J. (1926). On cellular activity and cellular structure as studied in the thyroid gland. The Journal of Physiology, 61(3), 398–408.
Hartoft‐Nielsen, M.L., Rasmussen, Å.K., Feldt‐Rasmussen, U., Buschard, K. and Bock, T. (2005). Estimation of number of follicles, volume of colloid and inner follicular surface area in the thyroid gland of rats. Journal of Anatomy, 207(2), 117–24.
Hussin, A.M. and Al-Taay, M.M. (2009). Histological study of the thyroid and parathyroid glands in Iraqi buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) with referring to the seasonal changes. Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research, 8(1), 26–38.
Junqueira, L.C. and Mescher, A.L. (2013). Junqueira's Basic Histology: Text & Atlas. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Medical
Kausar, R. and Shahid, R.U. (2006). Gross and microscopic anatomy of thyroid gland of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). Pakistan Vet. J, 26(2), 88–90.
Machado-Santos, C., Teixeira, M.J., Sales, A. and Abidu-Figueiredo, M. (2013). Histological and immunohistochemical study of the thyroid gland of the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris). Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences, 35(4), 585–9.
McAninch, E.A. and Bianco, A.C. (2014). Thyroid hormone signaling in energy homeostasis and energy metabolism. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1311(n/a) 77–87.
Muller, C.J.C., Botha, J. A., Coetzer, W.A. and Smith, W.A. (1994). Effect of shade on various parameters of Friesian cows in a Mediterranean climate in South Africa. 2. Physiological responses. South African Journal of Animal Science, 24(2), 56–60.
Nakayama, T. and Yoshimura, T. (2018). Seasonal rhythms: The role of thyrotropin and thyroid hormones. Thyroid, 28(1), 4–10.
Nazifi, S., Gheisari, H.R. and Poorabbas, H. (1999). The influences of thermal stress on serum biochemical parameters of dromedary camels and their correlation with thyroid activity. Comparative Haematology International, 9(1), 49–54.
Rimbach, R., Pillay, N. and Schradin, C. (2017). Both thyroid hormone levels and resting metabolic rate decrease in African striped mice when food availability decreases. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220(5), 837–43.
Sawicki, B., Siuda, S. and Kasacka, I. (1992). Bisoniana 107. Microscopic structure of the thyroid gland in the European bison. Acta Theriologica, 37(1-2), 171–9.
Schmidt-Nielsen, B., Schmidt-Nielsen, K., Houpt, T.R. and Jarnum, S.A. (1957). Urea excretion in the camel. American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 188(3), 477–84. 
Schmidt-Nielsen, K., Crawford Jr, E. C., Newsome, A. E., Rawson, K. S. and Hammel, H. T. (1967). Metabolic rate of camels: effect of body temperature and dehydration. American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 212(2), 341–6.
Sellitti, D.F. and Suzuki, K. (2014). Intrinsic regulation of thyroid function by thyroglobulin. Thyroid, 24(4), 625–38.
Tahboub, R. and Arafah, B.M. (2009). Sex steroids and the thyroid. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 23(6), 769–80.
Tajik, J. and Sazmand, A. (2013). Serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, cholesterol and triglyceride, and their correlations together in clinically healthy camels (Camelus dromedarius): Effects of season, sex and age. Veterinary Research Forum, 4(4), 239–43. 
Williams, C.T., Chmura, H.E., Zhang, V., Dillon, D., Wilsterman, K., Barnes, B. M. and Buck, C.L. (2019). Environmental heterogeneity affects seasonal variation in thyroid hormone physiology of free-living arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97(9), 783–90.
Yagil, R., Etzion, Z. and Ganani, J. (1978). Camel thyroid metabolism: Effect of season and dehydration. Journal of Applied Physiology, 45(4), 540–4.
Yokus, B., Cakir, D.U., Kanay, Z., Gulten, T. and Uysal, E. (2006). Effects of seasonal and physiological variations on the serum chemistry, vitamins and thyroid hormone concentrations in sheep. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A, 53(6), 271–6.