Effects of Fat Meal, Heparin, and Fatty Acids on the Triiodothyronine Uptake Test

Abstract

In healthy persons a fat meal followed by injection of heparin produced a marked decrease in the binding capacity of the thyroxine-binding proteins, as measured by the T₃-test. Addition of fatty acids to plasma in vitro had similar effect on the T₃-test. No effect was seen when heparin was given to fasting subjects or was added to plasma in vitro. The mechanism is thought to be a displacement of thyroid hormones from their carrier proteins.

Key Words:

• Fatty acids
• nonesterified
• heparin
• hyperlipemia
• lipoprotein lipase
• thyroid gland function tests
• thyroid hormones
• thyroxine
• thyroxine-binding protein
• triiodothyronine