THE SECRETION OF URINE IN RABBITS DURING EXPERIMENTAL SALT DEFICIENCY

¹ Belgrave Hospital for Children, London
² The Department of Medicine, Cambridge

(1) Salt deficiency was induced experimentally in the rabbit (a) by administering diuretin by mouth to animals on a low salt diet, (b) by injecting glucose solutions intraperitoneally and withdrawing the fluid some hours later by paracentesis.

(2) Salt deficiency so induced led to

(a) A negative N balance and possibly an excessive breakdown of body proteins.

(b) An abnormal water balance characterised by a failure to excrete water normally under test and by an extreme oliguria at normal fluid intakes.

(c) A reduced glomerular filtration rate at all urine flows which cannot be satisfactorily explained by anhydrawmia or a fall of bloodpressure and the cause of which probably lies in the kidney itself.

(a), (b), and (c) acting together lead to very high blood ureas.

(3) Salt deficiency in the rabbit produces the same signs of renal disorganisation as it does in man, and the pathology must be essentially the same in both species.

Much of this work was done at the Medical School of King's College Hospital, London, and the authors wish to acknowledge with thanks the facilities which they were given there.