Bound sodium in artery wall

¹ Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Analyses were made of total sodium, potassium and chloride content and of inulin space in dog carotid artery. The K_i/K_o gradient was found to be 125/4. Sodium space calculated from these analyses is larger than total hydration, thus precluding calculation of the Na_i/N_o gradient. It is postulated that the excess sodium is associated with the mucopolysaccharides present in the interstitial spaces of the artery wall media. This associated sodium is readily replaced during 3-minute incubation of the artery wall media in Krebs' solution in which either the hydrogen or the potassium concentration is increased. It appears improbable that the majority of the excess sodium can be attributed to a Donna equilibrium since chloride concentration in the incubated tissue is much greater than that calculated to be required for this equilibrium.

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