Thyroid Stimulatory Action of (Z)-Guggulsterone: Mechanism of Action

Abstract
(Z)-Guggulsterone, a ketosteroid isolated from the oleoresin of the dry exudate of Commiphora mukul, has been shown to stimulate the thyroid function in rats. This drug is now shown to counteract the thyroid-suppressant activity of a known thyroid inhibitor (carbimazole). This set of observations distinguishes the thyroid stimulatory action of (Z)-guggulsterone from that of the thyroid stimulatory hormone (TSH) of pituitary origin. It is, therefore, concluded that the action of (Z)-guggulsterone is not mediated by the pituitary.