TSH, T3, and T4analyses
After 14 days of treatment, mean TSH levels were significantly increased (p< 0.05) in males at AP levels of 0.2 mg/kg/day and higher, and in females at AP levels of 0.05 mg/kg/day and higher. The increases in TSH over control values ranged from 17% higher in the 0.05 mg/kg/day females to 62% higher in the 10 mg/kg/day males. Mean T4levels were significantly decreased (p< 0.05) in both males and females at the 10 mg/kg/day level, with mean values 23% and 18% lower than controls, respectively. Mean T3levels were significantly decreased (p< 0.05) in males at levels of 0.01 mg/kg/day and higher; the decreases in male T3ranged from 21% lower than controls at the 0.01 mg/kg/day level to 39% lower than controls at the 10 mg/kg/day level. No statistically significant differences in T3levels were observed in the female treatment groups at 14 days.
After 90 days of treatment, mean TSH levels were significantly increased (p< 0.05) in males at AP levels of 0.2 mg/kg/day and higher, and in females at the 10 mg/kg/day level only. The increases in TSH over control values ranged from 17% higher in the 0.2 mg/kg/day males to 21% higher in the 10 mg/kg/day females. Mean T3and T4levels were significantly decreased (p< 0.05) in both sexes at levels of 0.01 mg/kg/day and higher. The decreases in T4ranged from 14% lower than the control group in the 0.01 mg/kg/day males to 43% lower in the 10 mg/kg/day males. The decreases in T3ranged from 12% lower than the control group for the 0.01 mg/kg/day males to 35% lower in the 10 mg/kg/day males.
Following the 30-day recovery period, TSH levels were significantly increased (p< 0.05) in all three female recovery groups (0.05, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg/day), whereas no significant differences in TSH levels were observed in the male recovery groups. The increases in TSH levels of females ranged from 16% higher in 0.05 mg/kg/day females to 22% higher in the 10 mg/kg/day females. In contrast to the TSH results, mean T4levels were significantly lower (p< 0.05) than controls in all three male recovery groups (0.05, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg/day), whereas no significant differences in T4levels were observed in the female groups. The decreases in T4levels of males ranged from 23% lower than control males in the 0.05 and 1.0 mg/kg/day groups to 39% lower than control males in the 10 mg/kg/day group. Statistically significant differences in T3were limited to a lower mean T3value in 10 mg/kg/day females (12% lower than control females). No statistically significant differences in T3levels were observed in the male recovery groups.