Urinary zinc in relation to other cations and flow during volume expansion and intravenous chlorothiazide

Urinary excretion of zinc, sodium, potassium, and calcium was studied in anesthetized dogs under conditions of volume expansion by saline infusion and volume expansion plus chlorothiazide administration. Zinc excretion was positively correlated to the fractional water excretion, as well as to th excretion of the other cations, during volume expansion. Chlorothiazide administration during volume expansion increased the zinc, sodium, and potassium excretion without changing that of calcium. The enhanced zinc excretion during chlorothiazide diuresis was equal to that expected on the basis of the increase in fractional water excretion alone. The urinary concentration of zinc appeared inversely related to the urine flow rate, reaching a minimum below that of the plasma ultrafilterable zinc concentration. The ratio of the clearance of zinc to that of sodium was 0.28, indicating a greater degree of net reabsorption for zinc than for calcium. These findings suggest that zinc and sodium reabsorption may be inhibited to a similar degree at chlorothiazide-sensitive sites in the tubule. Furthermore, the zinc reabsorptive mechanism seems capable of lowering urinary zinc concentration below that of ultrafiltrate and appears related in some way to sodium reabsorption.