Abstract
UREA plays an important part in the production of a concentrated urine in mammals1. Berliner et al.2 postulate that urea contributes to the renal concentrating ability because it diffuses from the collecting ducts into the medullary interstitium and is trapped by capillary countercurrent exchangers, called vasa recta. Urea, therefore, increases the osmotic pressure of the medullary interstitial fluid with which the collecting duct fluid equilibrates during the formation of a hypertonic urine. Thus, increasing the available urea enhances maximum urine concentrating ability in most species which have been investigated (man, dog, rat, cat, kangaroo rat, and jerboa3)
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HOUSE, E., PFEIFFER, E. & BRAUN, H. Influence of Diet on Urine Concentration in Aplodontia rufa and the Rabbit. Nature 199, 181–182 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/199181a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/199181a0
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