THE DIFFERENTIAL EXCRETION OF BROMIDE AND CHLORIDE IONS AND ITS ROLE IN BROMIDE RETENTION

¹ From the Department of Pharmacology, Cornell University Medical College, New York

1. The urinary excretion of bromide and chloride ions was studied in fasting dogs following (a) the intravenous injection of sodium chloride or sodium bromide (b) the administration of various diuretics.

2. The excretion of bromide or chloride ions in more than negligible amounts depended upon the concentration of total plasma halide; in general, excretion did not occur at levels below 108 mM per liter of plasma, in the absence of salyrgan or theophylline.

3. The extent of differential excretion of bromide and chloride was represented by K, the ratio of the mols per cent of bromide in the urinary halide to that of bromide in the plasma halide. K had a value ranging from about 0.7 to 1.0 during the periods of diuresis following large injections of sodium chloride, sodium bromide and the subcutaneous injections of salyrgan or theophylline. In subsequent periods, K fell to a value of about 0.4.

4. The amount of bromide excreted following intravenous injection was related to (a) the state of halide saturation of the animal (b) the bromide:halide ratio in the plasma and (c) the value of K.

5. The relation between the bromide:halide ratios in the food intake, the plasma, and the urine has been described, and the significance of the urinary excretion of bromide for the problem of bromide storage and the calculation of extracellular water has been pointed out.

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