Behavior of Thyroid Toward Elements of the Seventh Periodic Group. II. Rhenium.

Abstract

Rhenium is preferentially and actively filtered from the blood by the thyroid. After injecting a single dose, the Re concentration in that organ is 25 to 100 or more times greater than that found in any other tissue. These findings therefore add support to our hypothesis that the thyroid will selectively filter from the blood all the elements of the seventh periodic group. The greatest concentration of Re in tissues occurs within one hour. For several hours it decreases slowly and then more rapidly so that more than 90% is recovered from the urine in 24 hours.