Effects of intraruminal sodium chloride infusion on rumen and renal nitrogen and electrolyte dynamics in sheep

1. Sheep were given 800 g low-protein roughage/d at 2 h intervals and infused intraruminally with 0,500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500 or 2000 mmol sodium chloride/d in 436 ml water. The digestibility of various food fractions and rumen ammonia, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and liquid turnover rate were measured, along with renal haemodynamics and the renal excretory patterns of nitrogen and electrolytes. Ad lib. food intake was determined during the infusion of 0 and 2000 mmol NaCl/d. 2. Infusion of NaCl up to 750 mmol/d had virtually no effect on the indices measured, except water intake and water excretion. Infusion of greater amounts caused a step-wise decrease in the digestibility of organic matter (OM) and N. Rumen liquid turnover rate was increased substantially and rumen NH3 and VFA concentrations were decreased. Ad lib. food intake was not different when either 0 or 2000 mmol NaCl/d were infused into the rumen. 3. The glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were substantially increased after the infusion of 1250 mmol or more NaCl/d. Extracellular fluid volume was also increased. The renal excretion of urea and uric acid + allantoin (URAL) were decreased at the higher infusion rates but the fractional excretions of both these substances were enhanced. The excretion of sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium were markedly increased with increasing salt infusion. 4. The results suggest that high NaCl inputs into the rumen increase the rumen turnover rate, which in turn decreases the digestibility of OM, particularly N. This causes lower rumen NH3 and VFA concentrations. Plasma urea and URAL concentrations are also decreased and this causes lower renal excretion of these substances despite a much higher fractional excretion resulting from the greatly enhanced urine flow rate. 5. When roughages low in N are given, NaCl intake should be kept below 20 mmol/kg body-weight per d to prevent a decline in the digestibility of the food and any consequent reduction in protein available to the sheep.