Influence of hypothyroidism on the lipolytic activity of norepinephrine in the newborn lamb.

The effects of hypothyroidism on the lipolytic activity of norepinephrine were assessed in the newborn lamb. Lambs were separated into three groups: group A were controls; groups B and C were made hypothyroid by administration of benzylthiouracil from birth until 11 days of age. In control lambs, plasma free fatty acid concentrations, used as an index of lipolytic activity, increased significantly (plus 0.45 mmol/l) during the infusion of norepinephrine, whereas they did not change in hypothyroid lambs (group B). Adding thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine to the infusion medium (group C) immediately restored the free fatty acid response to norepinephrine in hypothyroid lambs (plus 0.41 mmol/l). These results suggest that thyroid hormones could modulate the lipolytic activity of catecholamines in the newborn lamb without a latent period.