Excretion of Sodium and Water in Rats Made Hypertensive by Subtotal Nephrectomy

Abstract

The excretion of sodium and water by rats made hypertensive by subtotal nephrectomy in basal circumstances and after loading with various saline solutions shows these animals to have essentially normal patterns of sodium excretion. Water excretion, however, is invariably greater than that observed in normal animals. The hypertensive animal thus has a continually greater load of sodium on his body water than the normal in comparable circumstances. Some possible implications of these findings are discussed.