THE INFLUENCE OF HYPOTHERMIA ON THE UPTAKE OF 131I BY THE THYROID

Abstract

SUMMARY: 1. Thyroid activity was studied with ¹³¹I injected intraperitoneally. The uptake of ¹³¹I was followed in the living animal. The animals were brought into a state of hypoxic hypothermia by Giaja's method [1940]. 2. The thyroid gland is completely inactive at body temperatures of between 15 and 20° C. 3. At body temperatures of between 23 and 28° C, thyroid activity is decreased, but is large enough, over a sufficiently long period of time, to concentrate normal quantities of iodine. 4. Thyroid activity is unchanged when a normal body temperature is regained after a single or four to six successive phases of hypothermia.