Influence of Sodium Chloride Deficiency Upon Urine Volume and 17-Ketosteroid Excretion in the Rat

Abstract

The urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids by male weanling rats fed a ration deficient in NaCl increased to about twice the control value at the end of the 2d week of the deficiency. This brief rise was followed by a significant decline below control levels in the next week and for the remainder of the 34 day expt. The excretion of 17-ketosteroids by the control rats fed a complete ration increased gradually with the wt. of the rats from approx. 45 gamma/6 rats/day at weaning to 150-200 gamma/6 rats/day when the wt. of the rats averaged 120 g. A marked diuresis by the NaCl deficient rats was first observed on the 14th day of the deficiency and persisted for the remainder of the expt. In addition to the diuresis, the depletion of adrenal ascorbic acid, relative adrenal hypertrophy, and involution of the thymus in these rats were interpreted as pointing to increased adrenal activity.