Effect of Desoxycorticosterone and Posterior Pituitary Hormone on Water and Electrolyte Metabolism in Protein Deficiency

Abstract

Protein deficient and normal rats were treated during 10 days with large doses of desoxycorticosterone. No difference was found between the 2 groups of animals in the decrease of serum chloride and K and of muscle K, and in the increase in muscle Na brought about by the admn. of the hormone. Rats maintained on a protein deficient diet or a low protein carrot diet exhibited a delayed diuretic response to a water load. Pitressin was found to exert a greater and longer lasting effect in the deficient animals than in normal controls. It is concluded that the protein deficient organism is less able than the normal to inactivate the antidiuretic hormone. This failure is assumed to be, at least partly, responsible for the increased extracellular space in undernutrition.