Long-term turnover of thyroid iodine in the rat as studied by the isotopic equilibrium method

A long-term kinetics study was made in rats in a steady state for iodine metabolism and receiving either 5 microng iodine (group5) or 50 microng iodine (group 50) daily. By using the isotopic equilibrium method, the value of the renewed fraction was followed during at least 120 days in the thyroglobulin (Tg) and the lysosomes of the thyroid and in the plasma hormones. For both groups, only part of the total iodine pool in the Tg as well as in the lysosomes is directly available for secretion. Furthermore, the direct precursor pool of iodine for secretion in the lysosomes is dependent on the daily iodine intake (1.3 times greater in group 50 than in group 5) while the Tg iodine supply in the colloid is not (80% of the total Tg iodine pool for both groups). An iodine pool with a very slow turnover is present in the lysosomes (about 50% in each group), in the Tg of group 5 (more than 15%) and probably in the Tg of group 50 (less than 5%). Thus, the distribution of such a pool between lysosomes and Tg is dependent on the daily iodine intake. The very slow iodine pool is probably not accumulated into the follicles, since every studied pool is in steady state. It is practically not secreted since hormones in the plasma are entirely renewed. Again, it is practically not deiodinated since the thyroid iodide pool is also entirely renewed. These three criteria are valuable for both groups. Although one cannot entirely exclude its participation in secretion, it is postulated that the major part of this pool is re-cycled without deiodination. Both lysosome-lysosome and lysosome-colloid pathways of re-cycling have been postulated. The second pathway is supposed to increase when the daily iodine intake is decreased.