Samuel H. Bassett

DIURNAL VARIATION IN THE URINARY EXCRETION OF NEUTRAL LIPID-SOLUBLE REDUCING STEROIDS IN CONGESTIVE CARDIAC FAILURE AND CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER WITH ASCITES

Pincus and his collaborators (1-4) have demonstrated that there is a normal cycle of excretion of neutral, lipid-soluble reducing steroids which has a maximum between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., decreases during the afternoon, and is at a minimum during the night. This corresponds to the normal excretory cycle of other urinary constituents (5-13). It has also been shown that in congestive cardiac failure (14, 15) and in cirrhosis of the liver with ascites (16) there is a reversed diurnal cycle of water and sodium excretion, with maximum values during the night in a high proportion of the individuals studied. This investi