Response of thyroxine and triiodothyronine to thyroid-stimulating hormone in adult female baboons (Papio cynocephalus).

The thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) response of the female baboon to injection of exogenous thyroid stimulating hormone was studied. This response established reference values for baseline and post-stimulation serum levels of T4 and T3. The reference values for T4 and T3 by radioimmunoassay were 9.9 +/- 2.2 micrograms/dl and 121 +/- 18 ng/dl, respectively. The T4 response to thyroid-stimulating hormone reached its peak level of 22.7 +/- 1.8 micrograms/dl at 12 +/- 2.5 hours. The corresponding peak response for the T3 was 351 +/- 61 ng/dl which occurred at 8.0 +/- 2.5 hours. The T3 response was more rapid and reached its peak earlier than T4.