Kidney Citrate Levels in Nucleotide Shock

Abstract

DURING recent studies on carbohydrate metabolism in shock, we have examined the citrate-level in the kidney of the fasting rat by Buffa and Peters's modification¹ of the method of Pucher, Sherman and Vickery², during the shock state produced by the parenteral injection of nucleotides. A marked increase (P = 0.01) in the citrate content of the kidney occurred 1 hr. after the intraperitoneal injection of a lethal dose of adenosinetriphosphate (250 mgm. magnesium adenosinetriphosphate per 100 gm. body-weight in the strain of rat used, at an environmental temperature of 18–22° C.; see table). This increase was not maintained, and 4 hr. after the injection the level had returned to normal. In its time relationships this effect resembles that seen in fluoro-acetate poisoning; but in the latter condition the increase in the citrate content of the rat kidney is much greater^1,3.