Effect of thyroxine on plasminogen activator and inhibitor activity in rat

Thyroid hormones influence mineral metabolism, distribution of water and electrolytes and are therefore of great importance in the maintenance of homeostasis under normal and diseased conditions such as renal failure. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of thyroxine on fibrinolytic parameters such as plasminogen activators (PA) in rat kidney, levels of PA and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), glucose in plasma and serum lipid profile injected with thyroxine (75 microg eltroxine/ 100 g(-1) body weight, ip for 7 days). Treatment increased PA activity significantly in rat kidneys. No changes were seen in PA, PAI and glucose in plasma of rats. There was significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in serum of treated group resulting in the decrease of HDL/LDL and total cholesterol/cholesterol ratios. However, triglycerides and VLDL showed significant higher activity in the serum of treated group as compared to controls. The results suggest beneficial effects of thyroxine treatment by increasing PA activity in kidney and reducing the cholesterol content in blood. It may be helpful to prevent hypercoagulable state by maintaining the normal homeostatic balance and restoring renal function.