Inhibition of Water Diuresis by Amytal

Abstract

Recently Fee 1 has shown that the water diuresis, established in decerebrate dogs by administration of water through the stomach tube, is checked by the administration of chloroform, ether, chloralose, or morphine in the doses commonly employed to produce anesthesia or analgesia. The inhibition lasts, roughly speaking, for the same length of time as the narcotic effect.

The technique given in the paper referred to, has been followed exactly in the 6 experiments reported here with the exception that intraperitoneal amytal was used instead of the drugs previously employed.

In all cases the full dose (0.05 gm. per kilo) produced an immediate and lasting inhibition, complete as regards the excess water elimination. In the only two cases where measurements were made at minute intervals, the diminution in urine flow began during the second and third minutes respectively, following the injection of amytal. In one experiment the excretion was followed for over 10 hours and no recovery was observed.

The following are the records of 2 typical experiments, the measurements being expressed graphically:

No explanation is offered for the rise in curve I (marked X) but a similar rise was also noted in another experiment.

The partial inhibition observed after the first injection in curve II has been observed with a dose as little as 1/10 gm. in a 6 kilo dog.