The effect of water, sodium overloading and diuretics upon urinary kallikrein

The effects of acute administration of either water or 2% NaCl solution via a stomach tube and injections of diurecits, furosemide (5, 10 mg) and acetazoleamide (5, 20 mg per rat), in adult rats upon urinary kallikrein (Kal), Na and K, were studied. Hyperhydration with water (5% b.w.) produced in 121% increase and 2% NaCl overloading (5% b.w.) 275% increase in urinary Kal within 120 min after gavage, when compared with the excretion of non hyperhydrated rats. Furosemide 5 mg in hyperhydrated animals produced in the same period an excretion of 645 +/- 52 ng BR of Kal, which is 147% higher to that excreted by the hyperhydrated controls. The same dose of furosemide in 2% NaCl loaded rats, produced an excretion of Kal equivalent to 1333 +/- 72 ng BR which is 180% greater than in controls similarly loaded. Acetazoleamide 20 mg and furosemide 5 mg produced similar excretions of Kal even though natriuresis is greater tna kalliuresis is lesser in furosemide injected rats. Evaluation of total kidney Kal has shown that a single (10 mg) or a series of furosemide injections (8 days 5 mg + 1 day 10 mg), brings about a significant (p is less than 0.001) decrease in renal Kal, but the increase of Kal excreted in the urine (120 min) is 3.5 times more (under a single injection) and 42 times more (under 9 injections) than the amount which disappears from the kidneys. Apparently furosemide not only stimulates Kal excretion, but also Kal synthesis in the kidney. The results support the concept that the Kal system would be involved in excretory functions dealing both with sodium and water excretion.