THE EFFECT OF DIIODOTYROSINE ON THE BASAL METABOLISM IN MYXEDEMA 1

Abstract

In one patient with myxedema the administration of 3.7 gm. of diiodotyrosine in 19 intravenous injections over a period of 21 days was without effect on the basal metabolism; and in another patient with myxedema (who was also receiving compound soln. of I for the first 4 days) the administration of 5.1 gm. in 14 intravenous injections over a period of 15 days was without a definite effect on the basal metabolism. In patients with a small amount of functioning thyroid tissue the limiting factor in the output of thyroxine does not appear to be the supply of diiodotyrosine. It would appear that diiodotyrosine cannot be synthesized into thyroxine outside the thyroid gland.