Saturday, August 13, 2011

Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine

Thyroxine or T4 also called tetraiodothyronine contains four atoms of iodine and triiododthyronine contains only three atoms of iodine. The more common hormone is T4 which accounts for nearly 90% of the secretions from the thyroid. The amount of T3 in the body is concentrated and very effective. Both hormones have similar functions. Enzymes in the liver can convert T4 to T3.

Major functions of the thyroid hormones?

Thyroid hormones affect almost every cell in the body. Some important effects of thyroid hormones on various cells and organ systems include:

1. Increases in body metabolism by increasing the rate at which cells use oxygen and food produce energy.

2. Causes the cardiovascular system to be more sensitive to sympathetic nervous activity.

3. Increases heart rate and force of contraction of heart muscle.

4. Maintains normal sensitivity of respiratory coenturs to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations.

5. Stimulates the formation of red blood cells to enhance oxygen delivery.

6. Stimulates the activity of other endocrine tissues.

7. Ensures proper skeletal development in children.

The Calorigenic effect is a result of the increased metabolic rate and increased oxygen consumption by cells. When the metabolic rate increases, more heat is generated and body temperature rises. Since energy use is measured in calories, this is known as the Calorigenic effect.




File:Thyroid hormone synthesis.png

Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate.[1]

Production of T3 and its prohormone thyroxine (T4) is activated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is released from the pituitary gland. This pathway is regulated via a closed-loop feedback process: Elevated concentrations of T3, and T4 in the blood plasma inhibit the production of TSH in the pituitary gland. As concentrations of these hormones decrease, the pituitary gland increases production of TSH, and by these processes, a feedback control system is set up to regulate the amount of thyroid hormones that are in the bloodstream.

As the true hormone, the effects of T3 on target tissues are roughly four times more potent than those of T4.[2] Of the thyroid hormone that is produced, just about 20% is T3, whereas 80% is produced as T4. Roughly 85% of the circulating T3 is later formed in the thyroid by removal of the iodine atom from the carbon atom number five of the outer ring of T4. In any case, the concentration of T3 in the human blood plasma is about one-fortieth of that of T4. This is observed in fact because of the short half-life of T3, which is only 2.5 days.[3] This compares with the half-life of T4, which is about 6.5 days.

The T3 (and T4) bind to nuclear receptors, thyroid receptors. T3 (and T4) are very lipophilic and able to pass through the phospholipid bilayers of target cells. The lipophilicity of T3 (and T4) requires their binding to the protein carrier thyroid-binding protein (TBG) [thyroxine-binding globulins, thyroxine binding prealbumins, and albumins] for transport in the blood. The thyroid receptors bind to response elements in gene promoters, thus enabling them to activate or inhibit transcription. The sensitivity of a tissue to T3 is modulated through the thyroid receptors.

[edit]The transportation of triiodothyronine

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The system of the thyroid hormones T3 andT4.[5]

T3 and T4 are carried in the blood, bound to plasma proteins. This has the effect of increasing the half-life of the hormone and decreasing the rate at which it is taken up by peripheral tissues. There are three main proteins that the two hormones are bound to. Thyronine-binding globulin (TBG) is a glycoprotein that has a higher affinity for T4 than for T3. Transthyretin is also a glycoprotein, but with a higher affinity for T3 than for T4. Finally, both hormones bind with a low affinity to serum albumin, but, due to the large availability of albumin, it has a high capacity.

[edit]Effects of T3

T3 increases the basal metabolic rate and, thus, increases the body's oxygen and energy consumption. The basal metabolic rate is the minimal caloric requirement needed to sustain life in a resting individual. T3 acts on the majority of tissues within the body, with a few exceptions including the spleen and testis. It increases the production of the Na+/K+ -ATPase and, in general, increases the turnover of different endogenous macromolecules by increasing their synthesis and degradation.

Protein
T3
stimulates the production of RNA Polymerase I and II and, therefore, increases the rate of protein synthesis. It also increases the rate of protein degradation, and, in excess, the rate of protein degradation exceeds the rate of protein synthesis. In such situations, the body may go into negative ion balance.

Glucose
T3
potentiates the effects of the β-adrenergic receptors on the metabolism of glucose. Therefore, it increases the rate of glycogen breakdown and glucose synthesis in gluconeogenesis.

Lipids
T3
stimulates the breakdown of cholesterol and increases the number of LDL receptors, thereby increasing the rate of lipolysis.

Heart
T3
increases the heart rate and force of contraction, thus increasing cardiac output, by increasing β-adrenergic receptor levels in myocardium.[6] This results in increased systolic blood pressure and decreased diastolic blood pressure. The latter two effects act to produce the typical bounding pulse seen in hyperthyroidism.[citation needed]

Development
T3
has profound effect upon the developing embryo and infants. It affects the lungs and influences the postnatal growth of the central nervous system. It stimulates the production ofmyelin, the production of neurotransmitters, and the growth of axons. It is also important in the linear growth of bones.

Neurotransmitters
T3
may increase serotonin in the brain, in particular in the cerebral cortex, and down-regulate 5HT-2 receptors, based on studies in which T3 reversed learned helplessness in rats and physiological studies of the rat brain.[7]

[edit]Measurement

Further information: Thyroid function tests

Triiodothyronine can be measured as free triiodothyronine, which is an indicator of triiodothyronine activity in the body. It can also be measured as total triiodothyronine, which also depends on the triiodothyronine that is bound to thyroxine-binding globulin.[8]

[edit]T3 in the treatment of depressive disorders

The addition of triiodothyronine to existing treatments such as SSRIs is one of the most widely studied augmentation strategies for refractory depression,[9] however success may depend on the dosage of T3. An uncontrolled long-term study by Kelly and Lieberman of 17 patients with major refractory unipolar depression found that 14 patients showed improvement of symptoms over an average timespan of two years, in some cases with higher doses of T3 than the traditional 50 mcg required to achieve therapeutic effect, with an average of 80 mcg and a dosage span of 24 months;dose range:25mcg-150mcg.[9] The same authors published a retrospective study of 125 patients with three categories of bipolar disorder (I, II and NOS) whose treatment had previously been resistant to an average of 14 other medications. They found that 84% experienced improvement and 33% experienced full remission. None of the patients experienced hypomania while on T3.[10]

[edit]Use as a fat loss supplement

3,5-Diiodo-L-thyronine and 3,3'-Diiodo-L-Thyronine are used as ingredients in certain over-the-counter fat-loss supplements, designed for bodybuilding. Several studies have shown that these compounds increase the metabolization of fatty acids and the burning of adipose fat tissue in rats.[11][12]

[edit]Alternative medicine

Triiodothyronine has been used to treat Wilson's syndrome, an alternative medical diagnosis not recognized as a medical condition by mainstream medicine. This diagnosis involves various non-specific symptoms that are attributed to the thyroid, despite normal thyroid function tests. The American Thyroid Association has raised concern that the prescribed treatment with triiodothyronine is potentially harmful.[13]


Thyroxine, or 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyronine (often abbreviated as T4), a form of thyroid hormones, is the major hormone secreted by thefollicular cells of the thyroid gland.


Thyroxine is synthesized via the iodination and covalent bonding of the phenyl portions oftyrosine residues found in an initial peptide, thyroglobulin, which is secreted into thyroid granules. These iodinated diphenyl compounds are cleaved from their peptide backbone upon being stimulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone.

[edit]Transport

T4 is transported in blood, with 99.95% of the secreted T4 being protein-bound, principally tothyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), and, to a lesser extent, to transthyretin and serum albumin. The half-life of thyroxine once released into the blood circulatory system is about 1 week.


T4 is involved in controlling the rate of metabolic processes in the body and influencing physical development. Administration of thyroxine has been shown to significantly increase the concentration of nerve growth factor in the brains of adult mice.[5]

Thyroxine is a prohormone and a reservoir for the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), which is about four times more potent. T4 is converted in the tissues by deiodinases, including thyroid hormone iodine peroxidase (TPO), to T3. The "D" isomer is called "Dextrothyroxine"[6] and is used as a lipid modifying agent.[7]

[edit]History

Thyroxine was first isolated in pure form in 1914 at the Mayo Clinic by Edward Calvin Kendall from extracts of hog thyroid glands.[8] The hormone was synthesised in 1927 by British chemists Charles Robert Harington and George Barger. It is marketed e.g. by Sandoz as Thyrex in form of 25, 100 and 150 µg tablets.


Thyroxine can be measured as free thyroxine, which is an indicator of thyroxine activity in the body. It can also be measured as total thyroxine, which also depends on the thyroxine that is bound to thyroxine-binding globulin. A related parameter is the free thyroxine index, which is total thyroxine multiplied by thyroid hormone uptake, which, in turn, is a measure of the unbound thyroxine binding globulins.[9]

The normal human adult range of T4 in blood is 4 - 11 µg/dL




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