Richard W. Lippman

Effect of Proteinuria on Localization of Radiomercury in Rat Kidney.

Summary When radioactive mercuric chloride is administered to animals rendered proteinuric by the administration of bovine albumin, less radiomercury is localized in the renal cortex than in that of the control animals. Diminished renal toxicity is associated with a diminished localization of radiomercury in the kidney.

Effect of Proteinuria on Toxicity of Mercurial Diuretics in the Rat

Summary Administration of human albumin to rats, with resultant proteinuria, prior to administration of mercurial diuretics, sharply reduces renal toxicity of the mercurial. This effect is attributed to inhibition, of mercurial reabsorption when the tubules are saturated with protein. Simultaneous administration of human albumin and the mercurial enhances toxicity. This effect is attributed to the more rapid absorption of mercurial, concomitant with more rapid reabsorption of protein during the tubular loading phase. The author gratefully acknowledges the invaluable technical assistance of Helen J. Ureen and Ruth Taniguchi. Dr. Lelland J. Rather reviewed the microscopic sections made for preliminary studies. The definitive studies were aided by Dr. Harry Goldblatt, who kindly reviewed and described the microscopic sections.

Mechanism of Proteinuria. II. Identity of Urinary Proteins in the Rat Following Parenteral Protein Injection

Summary 1. Parenteral injection of egg albumin in the rat produces proteinuria composed of egg albumin, with no appreciable excretion of rat serum protein.

Blood, plasma, and drawn blood volumes in the rat.

Summary 1. Blood and plasma volumes have been determined in the normal albino rat, and have been found to be approximately related to a power of body weight, the deviation being ascribed to deposition of avascular fat as the rat matures. There appeared to be no significant difference in this regard between the sexes. 2. An estimation of blood volume changes may be made from the “drawn blood” volumes.

Nephrotoxic globulin nephritis. III. Prompt death after administration of nephrotoxic globulin to the rat.

Summary Administration of nephrotoxic globulin (NTG) to the rat produces death in less than 12 hours if the amount given is sufficient. Bilateral nephrectomy usually does not lead to death in less than 24 hours, when the animals are maintained on a stock diet containing 17% protein. The prompt death is related principally to anti-rat-tissue antibodies other than anti-rat-kidney. Anti-rat-erythrocyte is of definite but minor significance in the production of prompt death. Cortisone and tripelennamine exert no protection against the prompt death described. It is evident that nephrotoxic globulin (NTG) has important extrarenal effects which must be considered in comparing NTG nephritis with other similar diseases of the kidney, such as those of natural occurrence in man.

Extra-Renal Removal of Hemoglobin from Circulation in the Rat. 1. Effect of Parenteral Bovine Albumin

Summary 1. During the hour following intravenous injection of hemoglobin in the rat, about 1/3 of the quantity injected left the circulation by extra-renal routes. 2. Intraperitoneal injection of bovine albumin, with the associated rapid passage of albumin from the circulation, did not affect the rate at which hemoglobin left the circulation. 3. The rate at which hemoglobin leaves the circulation by extra-renal routes is of comparable magnitude to, though less than, the rate of renal excretion.

Effect of Thyro-Parathyroideetomy upon the Blood and Plasma Volumes of the Rat:

There have been few studies of blood and plasma volumes in myxedema or experimental hypothyroidism, none on the rat. Thompson 1 in an early study found the plasma volume in myxedematous patients to be 30% below normal, and also found that the values returned to normal upon treatment with thyroid extract. Holböll 2 likewise found the blood and plasma volume reduced in myxedema. In the most recent study, Gibson and Harris 3 studied 7 myxedematous patients. They found that the blood volume was only 15% below normal, and attributed the lower results of earlier authors to errors in the method of blood volume determination used. Methods. This study utilized 16 male rats, ranging in weight from 150 to 180 g at the start. Thyro-parathyroidectomy was performed, under ether anesthesia, by blunt dissection and cauterization of the thyroid bed. Following this, an interval of 3 weeks elapsed, during which the rats were undisturbed and were fed upon stock diet. At the end of 3 weeks, the rats had failed to gain weight in accordance with the normal growth curve. Blood and plasma volume determinations were performed according to the hemoglobin dye method previously described. 4 Gross post-mortem examination showed no regeneration of thyroid tissue at the site of operation. The heart weights were diminished in accordance with previous experience upon thyro-parathyroidectomized rats. 5 Results. Plasma volumes were obtained in 16 rats, and blood volumes were obtained in 14 of these. There was a mean reduction of plasma volume, erythrocyte volume and total blood volume of approximately 10%, when compared with normal standards for rats of the same weight, as previously established. 4 (Table I).

Total serum protein concentration and total weight of circulating protein in the rat.

Summary 1. The total circulating serum protein and the serum concentration of total protein in the rat are shown to be related to body surface area over a wide range. 2. The sex difference in total serum protein concentration is of sufficient magnitude to require its consideration in experiments.

Effects of protein and fluid consumption upon plasma volume and circulating protein in the rat.

Summary 1. Drastic changes in protein, fluid, and salt consumption do not produce striking changes in blood and plasma volumes of the rat, over the periods studied. 2. Increased fluid consumption produced an increase of about 10% in total blood volume and plasma volume at the end of 17 hours, only when salt consumption was simultaneously increased. 3. A high protein diet increased blood and plasma volumes slightly at the end of 7 days, but did not appreciably alter the serum protein concentration. 4. All protein-deficient diets reduced the total circulating protein by 15-20% at the end of 7 days.