Role of thyroid hormones in early postnatal development of skeletal muscle and its implications for undernutrition

Energy intake profoundly influences many endocrine axes which in turn play a central role in development. The specific influence of a short period of mild hypothyroidism, similar to that induced by undernutrition, in regulating muscle development has been assessed in a large mammal during early postnatal life. Hypothyroidism was induced by providing methimazole and iopanoic acid in the feed of piglets between 4 and 14 d of age, and controls were pair-fed to the energy intake of their hypothyroid littermates. Thyroid status was evaluated, and myofibre differentiation and cation pump concentrations were then assessed in the following functionally distinct muscles: longissimus dorsi (l. dorsi), soleus and rhomboideus. Reductions in plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T-4; 32%, P<0.01), triiodothyronine (T-3; 48%, P<0.001), free T-3 (58%, P<0.001) and hepatic 5'-monodeiodinase (EC 1.11.1.8) activity (74%, P<0.001) occurred with treatment. Small, although significant, increases in the proportion of type I slow-twitch oxidative fibres occurred with mild hypothyroidism, in l. dorsi (2%, P<0.01) and soleus (7%, P<0.01). Nuclear T-3-receptor concentration in l. dorsi of hypothyroid animals compared with controls increased by 46% (P<0.001), a response that may represent a homeostatic mechanism making muscle more sensitive to low levels of circulating thyroid hormones. Nevertheless, Na-+,K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.37) concentration was reduced by 15-16% in all muscles (l. dorsi P<0.05, soleus P<0.001, rhomboideus P<0.05), and Ca2+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.38) concentration was significantly reduced in the two slow-twitch muscles: by 22% in rhomboideus (P<0.001) and 23% in soleus (P<0.05). It is concluded that during early postnatal development of large mammals a period of mild hypothyroidism, comparable with that found during undernutrition, induces changes in myofibre differentiation and a down-regulation of cation pumps in skeletal muscle. Such changes would result in slowness of movement and muscle weakness, and also reduce ATP hydrolysis with a concomitant improvement in energetic efficiency.