Free water excretion in normal dogs

¹ Department of Medicine, The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York City

Free water excretion (C_hh2o = V - C_osm) was studied in unanesthetized dogs. This parameter of urine dilution was defined by superimposing an osmotic diuresis upon a water diuresis. Sodium sulfate (1.5%) gave the smallest free water clearance and sodium chloride (0.95%) the greatest, urea (1.65%) and mannitol (5.0%) being intermediary in their effects. Observed free water clearances were never maximal and, when plotted as C_osm vs. V, gave a slope of less than one. Two mercurial diuretics, meralluride and mercaptomerin, gave intermediary values for free water. Meralluride caused an early increase in free water clearance because of the theophylline incorporated in the compound. Later results were similar to those with mercaptomerin, both compounds producing free water clearances approaching a maximal rate.