The failure of physiologic doses of reverse T3 to effect thyroid-pituitary function in man

Reverse T3 (3,3',5'-triiodothyronine, rT3), a major product of the peripheral monodeiodination of thyroxine (T4), was administered to normal male volunteers in doses sufficient to sustain an elevated serum rT3 concentration similar to that frequently observed in patients with nonthyroidal illness. No changes in basal serum T4, T3, TSH and prolactin concentrations, nor in the T3, TSH and prolactin responses to iv TRH were observed during rT3 administration. These findings suggest that physiologic increases in serum rT3 concentration probably do not inhibit T4 to T3 conversion or the anterior pituitary TSH and prolactin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).