Oxygen consumption of jejunum removed from either killed or anaesthetized euthytoid, hypothyroid and triiodothyronine (T3)-treated rats was measured polarographically in vitro. 2. Hypothyroidism induced by drinking 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil depressed jejunal oxygen consumption. 3. Treatment of euthyroid rats with T3 stimulated jejunal oxygen consumption by 39% in the presence of 28 mM glucose and by 23% in its absence. 4. Sodium ions appear to play a major permissive role in the action of T3 on jejunal oxygen uptake. In the presence of sodium, T3 stimulated significantly the oxygen consumption by 23% while in the absence of sodium the stimulation was only 10% which was not significant. The sodium-sensitive oxygen uptake of the jejunum was expanded by 57% after T3 treatment.