Effect of altered thyroid status on the transport of hepatobiliary radiopharmaceuticals.

The effect of induced hypothyroidism (by feeding an antithyroid drug-propylthiouracil) on the transport and clearance of the routinely used hepatobiliary radiopharmaceuticals--radioiodinated iodine-131 (131I) rose bengal and technetium-99m-N-(4-n-butylphenylcarbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetate, was studied in the rats. Hypothyroidism was associated with depressed growth and retarded clearance of these radiotracers from the in vivo system. Treatment of the hypothyroid rats with thyroxine (2-5 micrograms/100 g b.w. day) for 6 wk, restored these parameters towards normal values. These data suggest that delayed clearance of these hepatobiliary tracers could be related to reduced metabolic rate accompanied with the hypotonia and hypomotility of intestine normally observed in the hypothyroid state.