Equilibrium dialysis studies of plasma binding of thyroxine, triiodothyronine and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates in human and cat plasma

Binding of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates, T4G, T3G, T4S and T3S, was assessed by equilibrium dialysis in plasma from 6 euthyroid humans and 5 euthyroid cats. In humans, the dialyzable percentages of T4, T4G and T4S were 0.029 +/- 0.003 (mean +/- S.D.), 0.14 +/- 0.04 and 0.08 +/- 0.02 respectively. For T3, T3G and T3S they were 0.31 +/- 0.04, 0.33 +/- 0.07 and 0.22 +/- 0.02. In cats, the corresponding values for T4, T4G and T4S were 0.057 +/- 0.009, 0.20 +/- 0.10 and 0.53 +/- 0.04; for T3, T3G and T3S they were 0.47 +/- 0.08, 0.51 +/- 0.11, and 0.53 +/- 0.11. We conclude that glucuronide conjugation has little or no inhibiting effect on the plasma binding of T3, and that T3S is actually more tightly bound than T3 in human (but not feline) plasma. On the other hand, conjugation to either the glucuronide or the sulfate markedly reduced T4 binding in plasma from both species.