Liothyronine is a thyroidal hormone T3 which is normally produced by the thyroid gland in a ratio 4:1 when compared with T4: T3. Liothyronine is the active form of thyroxine which is composed in a basic chemical structure by a tyrosine with bound iodine.[T457] The exogenous liothyronine product was developed by King Pharmaceuticals and FDA approved in 1956.[L5578]
Liothyronine is officially approved for the following indications: - Replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary) and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. - As an adjunct therapy to surgery and radioiodine in the management of thyroid cancer. - As a diagnostic agent in suppression tests for mild hyperthyroidism or thyroid gland autonomy.[FDA label] In general terms, exogenous liothyronine is used to replace insufficient hormonal production and restore T3 plasma levels.[T457] The lack of liothyronine can be presented as a pale and puffy face, coarse, brittle hair, dry skin, croaky voice and constipation as well as irregular periods, drowsiness, and lethargy.[T457] Liothyronine should never be used in the suppression of benign nodules and nontoxic diffuse goiter in iodine-sufficient patients nor in the treatment of hyperthyroidism during the recovery phase of subacute thyroiditis.[FDA label]
Categories
Agents used to treat hypothyroidism
Drugs that are Mainly Renally Excreted
Hormones
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
l-Triiodothyronine
OAT3/SLC22A8 Inhibitors
OATP1B1/SLCO1B1 Substrates
OATP1B3 substrates
P-glycoprotein inducers
Systemic Hormonal Preparations, Excl. Sex Hormones and Insulins
Drug Info/Drug Targets: DrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugs. Knox C, Law V, Jewison
T, Liu P, Ly S, Frolkis A, Pon A, Banco K, Mak C, Neveu V, Djoumbou Y, Eisner R, Guo AC, Wishart DS.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan; 39 (Database issue):D1035-41. | PMID:21059682
