METABOLIC STUDIES IN MYXEDEMA FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OFl-TRIIODOTHYRONINE: 1) DURATION OF NEGATIVE NITROGEN BALANCE; 2) EFFECT OF TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE; 3) COMPARISON WITH NITROGEN BALANCE IN A HEALTHY VOLUNTEER*†

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Abstract
THE administration of thyroid hormone to a patient with myxedema produces a marked negative nitrogen balance (1–4). The purpose of this paper is to present metabolic studies on the administration of l-triiodothyronine1 to 2 patients with myxedema over a prolonged period, in an attempt to determine how long the negative nitrogen balance is maintained. The effect of testosterone propionate on the negative nitrogen balance induced by the l-triiodothyronine in the patient with myxedema, and the effect of ι-triiodothyronine on nitrogen balance in a normal human volunteer, will also be discussed. METHODS AND MATERIALS The 2 patients with myxedema (H. J. and O. S.; case histories in Appendix) were studied while hospitalized on a metabolic unit, where they were ambulatory and allowed a relatively constant amount of activity daily. The healthy volunteer carried on his customary medical school activities but was fed on the metabolic unit. The subjects were maintained on a constant diet containing approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. All food was prepared and served from a metabolic kitchen. In the case of Patients H. J. and O. S., in whom multiple studies were carried out, the same diet was used for each study. During the periods that the patients were home between studies, they were allowed an unrestricted diet but continued to take l-triiodothyronine in the same dosage as when in the hospital.