[Mineral content of various organs in experimentally induced water-electrolyte imbalance]

Experimentally induced disorders of mineral metabolism are caused in rats in order to examine differences of electrolyte concentrations in several organs (heart muscle, skeletal muscle, liver, brain). Specimens are taken immediately after death or 24 hours after death. Water overload causes pointed deviations in mineral content of tissue in relation to the control group, deficiency of water results in only minimal changes. Hypotonic hydration increases the water content of skeletal muscle, the "cationic osmolality" is decreased in all organs. Overload with hypertonic solutions decreases water content of tissues, the concentrations of potassium and sodium are increased. Arrest of water intake for a few days leads to minimal changes in mineral concentrations in tissue although the organs seem to be "dry". In relation to specimen taken immediately after death the mineral content of tissues shows increased sodium and decreased potassium concentrations after 24 hours of death. The experimentally induced deviations of the organ mineral concentrations are preserved.