The In Vitro O₂-Consumption of Kidney from Normal and Sublimate Intoxicated Rats

Abstract

The in vitro O₂-consumption of kidney slices from normal and sublimate intoxicated rats has been studied by means of Warburg's method. It has been demonstrated previously that the weight of kidneys from sublimate intoxicated rats varies with a positive linear correlation to urine output. the traditional units of Warburg's method, in which O₂-consumption is related to dry weight or any known constituent of the investigated tissue, were not suitable for the present experiment. A new unit is therefore introduced, and is defined as microliter O₂-consumption in kidneys per g body weight per hour, here called -qo₂This unit is reduced with increasing age of the rat, and varies only slightly within an even age group of normal rats. in sublimate intoxicated rats, -qo₂ has a close positive linear correlation to the specific gravity of the urine. in a series of rats given 4 mg sublimate per kg body weight, -qo₂ was reduced to nearly one half of normal at the time of greatest polyuria. There was no morphological sign of renal damage in this series. When the dose of sublimate was increased, signs of tubular necrosis were not recorded until -qo₂ was reduced to about one half of normal.