Recovery of serum TSH and thyroid hormones after 3'isopropyl-3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (DIIP) treatment: absence of inhibiting effect of bromocriptine on TSH secretion and evidence for autoregulation of serum T3 levels.

Bromocriptine, because of its dopaminergic activity, could possibly inhibit TSH secretion. This hypothesis was tested in 7 normal male volunteers. Thyroid function was suppressed with the very potent thyromimetic analogue, 3'isopropyl-3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (DIIP). We wanted to observe, after stopping this treatment, whether the return of serum T3, T4, rT3 and TSH values was influenced by concomitant bromocriptine treatment (5 mg/day). For comparison, the DIIP study was also performed without bromocriptine treatment. In both cases, serum T4 and serum T3, which had decreased by, respectively, 34% +/- 5% and 17% +/- 5%, returned over the same time interval to their initial values. Serum TSH and TRH-mediated TSH secretion were also unaffected by the bromocriptine treatment. DIIP does not interfere in the serum determination of T3, T4 and rT3. During suppression with DIIP serum T3 fell less than serum T4 and returned more rapidly to its initial concentrations. It is concluded that dopaminergic inhibition by bromocriptine, at this dose, is insufficient to alter normal thyroid function. In addition, during suppression and shortly thereafter there is a tendency for the serum T3 levels to be maintained.