RESUMO
The sodium and potassium content of 282 samples representing 218 different foods items and six samples of water are presented in two tables. Our results on 38 food items are compared with two studies by American workers in a third tableIn agreement with findings in the United States, our results show that our foods of plant origin generally have low sodium content. Most of them have less than 10 mg of this mineral per 100 gm. edible portion. This is especially true with fruits, shoots, vegetables flowers, vegetable fruits and legumes and unprocessed cereals. Wider variations (from 1 to more than 1000 mg. per 100 gm edible portion in a few items) were observed among the leafy vegetables, vegetables roots, bulbs and tubers, the pulses, nuts and seeds and the starches, sugars and syrupsOn the other hand, the potassium content generally was more than a hundred mg. sometimes above one thousand mg. per 100 gm. edible portionComparison with two studies of american authors using the same experimental methods also brings out the fact that despite the relatively big differences in individual values for severals items, the foods studied which are of plant origin have low sodium and high potassium content Our public water supply to the city of Manila and its suburbs has low sodium and potassium content. In contrast to this, one sample obtained from a deep well 300 feet from the shore line of Manila Bay gave high sodium and potassium values. (Summary)
RESUMO
Forty-four hearts, showing no signs of hypertrophy or disease, were selected from persons dying suddenly from accidental, suicidal or homicidal causesSamples from each heart were obtained from the right ventricle and from the epicardium (outermost 1-2 mm. portion) and endocardium of the left ventricle. These samples were analyzed for sodium and potassium by flame photometry, after being freed of all removable fat and blood vessels. The results were expressed in mEq 100 Gm. of fat-free and water-free tissueThe left ventricle had significantly (15 per cent) more potassium than the right; while the right ventricle had significantly (30 per cent) more sodium than the left. The left ventricular epicardium had significantly more sodium than the endocardium, but an equal concentration of potassiumThe higher sodium concentration in the outer ventricular layer (epicardium) was interpreted to mean that this area probably had relatively more extracellular fluid as a result of the squeezing action of the intramyocardial pressureThe higher sodium content of the right ventricle was thought to be due only partly to a greater amount of extracellular space. The possibility that some of this sodium in the right ventricle must be intracellular could not be eliminated because of the lower potassium content of this ventricle and the previous studies demonstrating a reciprocal relationship between these ionsThe difference in potassium content between left and right ventricles was considered to indicate a difference in the potassium of the muscle cells themselves, and consequently, as a reflection of differences in cellular metabolism and activity. Some physiologic qualities of the normal right ventricle that differ from the left ventricle were cited as possible effects of these cellular chemical differences. (Summary)