Some Effects of High and Low Sodium Intake on a Vegetarian Diet in Rats

ABSTRACT

Ninety weaned albino rats divided into three different dietary groups according to the amount of salt in their diet. Each diet consisted of a basic diet of vegetable origin to which was added a specific amount of NaCl. Diet I contained 0.51 mEq Na(0.03% NaCl), diet II 9.96mEq Na(0.58%NaCl), and diet III 24.60 mEq Na(1.45% NaCl) per 100 grams of diet. Each diet contained 14 mEq of potassium per 100 grame of diet. All rats grew satisfactorily, regardless the type of diet, until the age of 60 weeks. Both male and female rats were on the highest volume of water consumption in the first 10 weeks and in all groups the female rats consumed more water than males. No significant difference in the level of serum and osseous electrolytes was found. In animals receving the higher sodium diet the ratio of heart to kidney weight per kilogram of body weight was 6-8% higher than in the other groups. The frequency of occurence of a chromophobe adenoma seems to be influenced both by the rat strain and by the stress such as is found where a low sodium diet is given. In this study, animals on the highest sodium diet (24. 60 mEq Na 1.45% NaCl) had a longer life span than the two other lower sodium diet groups.