Sodium retention in chronic liver disease: lack of a natriuretic factor?

An acute volume expansion in water diuresis has been induced in 8 patients with liver cirrhosis and in 8 normal subjects, taken as controls. A two hour postinfusion urine sample has been utilized to obtain the urine fraction with natriuretic activity. This activity was assayed in 16 rats. Our results confirm a significantly lower natriuretic activity of cirrhotic urine fractions than those of controls.