THE ELECTROLYTES OF MUSCLE AND LIVER IN POTASSIUM-DEPLETED RATS

Abstract

When young rats are maintained on a diet containing only 0.01% of K their muscles take up Na in large quantities and lose K. Whereas in the muscles of normal animals most of the Na is extracellular in position, in the care of K-deprived rats the major portion of the Na is confined to the intracellular phase. The deficiency leads to a serum K of one-half of the normal value, and the conc. of chloride is reduced by about 15%. Liver tissue shows no large changes in its content of electrolytes.