American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 16, 363-369, Copyright © 1965 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Effects of Triiodothyronine and Thyroxin on the Lipolytic Action of Epinephrine in Markedly Obese Subjects

¹ From the Division of Endocrinology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan

In patients with marked obesity, the administration of triiodothyronine in physiological amounts partially corrected the impaired response of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) to intravenously administered epinephrine. This effect was noted only in the release phase of the FFA response. That it was not an effect specific for markedly obese subjects was shown by the augmentation of the normal response of FFA which occurred in the plasma of nonobese subjects given epinephrine. Thyroxin in replacement doses was without significant effect. With hyperthyroid doses, triiodothyronine normalized the FFA release phase but the clearance of FFA remained impaired. A role for triiodothyronine in the causality and treatment of marked obesity is not suggested by these results.