Electric modification of kidney function. The excretion of radiographic contrast media and adriamycin

The body consists of systems of conductive pathways for ionic flow of current induced by metabolic or injury potentials among tissues and cells. In vivo electrophoresis in biologically closed electric circuits (BCEC) are coupled to the mechanical transports of blood and lymph. Connections also exist with conductive media such as cerebrospinal fluid, bile, and urine. Artificial induction of current was applied over the kidneys in order to study modification of kidney function. It is thought that studies of this kind will increase our understanding of kidney function from a new angle of view and possibly add new therapeutic possibilities. In anesthetized pigs, one kidney was made anodic (electropositive) and the other cathodic (electronegative). Current was applied between electrodes in each ureter. Intravascularly injected, electronegatively charged aminotrizoate and ioxaglate were excreted mainly by the anodic kidney. Nonionic iohexol was urographically excreted by both kidneys. Excretion of electropositively charged Adriamycin by the cathodic kidney was identified macroscopically and by chemical analysis. Functional effects on the kidneys can be induced electrophoretically without causing injury.