THE THYROID-ADRENAL RELATIONSHIP: THE EFFECT OF CORTISONE AND OF THYROID HORMONE ON HEPATIC NECROSIS OF DIETARY ORIGIN IN THE RAT1

Abstract

MOST recent studies of the thyroid-adrenal relationship deal mainly with the effects of the thyroid or adrenocortical hormones on either gland and/or on the adenohypophysis. Little attention has been paid to the peripheral interrelations of these hormones. It is with this aspect of the thyroid-adrenal relationship that this paper is concerned. The experiments presented here were prompted by observations showing that at least some of the effects of the prolonged administration of cortisone can be significantly modified by the simultaneous induction of a hyperthyroid state (1, 2, 3, 4). The explanation which best fitted these findings was based on the assumption that the increased metabolic requirements of the hyperthyroid state lead to increased “utilisation” and more rapid destruction, inactivation or excretion of the administered adrenocortical steroid, thus preventing the accumulation of an excess of it in the body. Recently more direct evidence has been presented in favour of this view (5, 6, 7).