Salt and Water Losses in Diuretin Diuresis and Their Relation to Serum Non-protein Nitrogen and Electrolyte Concentrations

The losses of sodium, potassium, chloride, nitrogen, and water following the administration of diuretin to rabbits over 5 to 9 day periods together with the changes in serum concentrations of sodium, chloride, N. P. N., and total protein occurring simultaneously with these losses are described. The circumstances responsible for the presence of azotemia in the animals were investigated in particular and the dependence of nitrogen retention upon dehydration and the modification of this dependence by variation in urine volume were demonstrated. It was clearly shown that no direct relationship exists between the azotemia and the coincident hypochloremia. It was found that nitrogen retention can be removed by the administration of water without salt, and the extent to which serum electrolyte and protein concentrations can be lowered by this procedure was also observed. The withdrawal from the body of large amounts of potassium as well as of sodium and chloride following the administration of diuretin, and also the inefficacy of sodium chloride solution in preventing the potassium loss was demonstrated.