STUDIES ON DIURETICS. I. THE SITE OF ACTION OF MERCURIAL DIURETICS 1

Abstract

A series of expts. were performed on dogs in which graded doses of mercuhydrin (5 to 240 mg. Hg) were admd. intraven. The fraction of total renal tubular reabsorption of Na blocked by the mercurial diuretic is limited (17-21% of total absorption). It is assumed that this limit is established when the absorptive system which is susceptible to depression by mercurials has been completely blocked. The magnitude of the absorptive system so quantitated corresponds to the magnitude of distal tubular absorption as estimated by others. It is inferred that organic mercurial diuretics depress the distal tubular absorption of Na.