Inhibitory effect of various radiographic contrast agents on secretion of thyroxine by the dog thyroid and on peripheral and thyroidal deiodination of thyroxine to tri-iodothyronine.

In previous studies we have found that the cholecystographic contrast agent ipodate induced a rapid, sustained and reversible inhibition of thyroxine (T4) secretion from perfused dog thyroid lobes. This type of inhibition of thyroid secretion has not been observed previously. To evaluate whether this effect is unique for ipodate, ten other iodine-containing radiographic contrast agents were tested. The four agents used for cholecystography (iocetamate, iodipamide, ioglycamate and iotroxate) all induced rapid inhibition of T4 secretion from TSH-stimulated perfused dog thyroid lobes, while none of six agents predominantly excreted through the kidneys (amidotrizoate, metrizamid, metrizoate, iodamide, diodone and ioxithalamate) influenced T4 secretion significantly. All the cholecystographic agents inhibited T4 deiodinases from dog thyroid and liver. Diodone also inhibited the deiodinases while none of the other compounds tested had any effect. The results indicate that the structure necessary to inhibit thyroid secretion is common to a number of cholecystographic agents and that it could be related to the structure responsible for the inhibitory effect of cholecystographic agents on T4 deiodinases.