Free T3 Bioavailability refers to the fraction of triiodothyronine (T3), the biologically active thyroid hormone, that is unbound to plasma proteins and therefore immediately available to diffuse into target cells and exert its physiological effects. T3 is the most potent thyroid hormone, directly regulating basal metabolic rate, cardiac function, and neural development by binding to nuclear receptors. Assessing this unbound fraction provides a more accurate picture of tissue-level thyroid status than total T3 measurements, which include the largely inactive protein-bound pool. Optimal bioavailability is essential for systemic energy homeostasis and endocrine balance.
Origin
This concept originates from clinical endocrinology and pharmacokinetics, the study of how drugs and hormones are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted. The term bioavailability denotes the proportion of a substance that enters the circulation and is able to have an active effect. The distinction between total and free hormone levels became critical as researchers realized that protein binding dictates the true functional availability of steroid and thyroid hormones.
Mechanism
Thyroid hormones, being lipophilic, circulate largely bound to transport proteins like Thyroxine-Binding Globulin (TBG) and transthyretin. Only the minute fraction that remains free can traverse the cell membrane and bind to the intracellular thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) located primarily in the nucleus. This binding event modulates gene transcription, leading to the synthesis of proteins that regulate cellular metabolism. Conditions that alter the concentration of binding proteins, such as high estrogen levels, can significantly impact the total hormone levels without necessarily changing the clinically relevant Free T3 Bioavailability.
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