EFFECT OF ALKALI ON THE ABSORPTION OF THYROXINE FROM THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

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Abstract
We have just reported observations which show that when thyroxine is administered by mouth in the form of its monosodium salt to patients with myxedema it has only about from one-third to one-fifth as much effect as when it is administered intravenously in alkaline solution (sodium hydroxide).1 This conclusion was based on the amounts of the two substances which had to be administered every day in order to hold the basal metabolism at the normal level. Pure thyroxine had much less effect than its monosodium salt. Since when thyroxine is dissolved in an excess of sodium hydroxide the disodium salt is presumably formed, it seemed logical to try the effect of administering the hormone by mouth in an alkaline solution. Klein2 reported that Hoffmann-La Roche thyroxine solution for oral use, Schering thyroxine in alkaline solution with the same ph as the Hoffmann-La Roche solution and Schering's Trinktabletten