191Jf^ AcTioisr OF Various Diuretics 51 



GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA 



The metabolic disturbance which is induced by uranium and 

 which in part is characterized by the development of a glyco- 

 suria is usually explained by assuming that this substance like 

 hydrocyanic acid induces the glycosuria by lessening internal 

 respiration. 



In the experiments conducted by Chittenden and Hutchinson 

 (5) on the influence of uranium salts upon the activity of cer- 

 tain ferments they were able to show that the nitrate exerted an 

 inhibitory effect upon the ferment action of saliva and of pepsin. 

 This inhibition was induced by the nitrate in very high dilu- 

 tions. An inhibitory effect on the ferment action of saliva was 

 brought about with dilutions of the salt in 0.0001 to 0.003 per 

 cent strength while the inhibition of the protelytic action of 

 pepsin required the use of the salt in stronger solutions. The 

 action of this ferment was inhibited when uranium nitrate 

 was used in the strength of 0.01 per cent, and all action 

 ceased when the strength of the solution increased to 0.5 

 per cent. 



It is possible that uranium nitrate exerts a similar inhibi- 

 tory effect upon the action of the oxidative enzymes of the 

 cell, and that through this action internal respiration, even in 

 the presence of abundant oxygen, is interfered with. The 

 lessened oxidation so induced would explain the glycosuria 

 that is constantly seen following uranium injections. 



Granting that such a hypothetical explanation for the uran- 

 ium glycosuria be true, the experiments which have been con- 

 ducted in this investigation would tend to show that the oxi- 

 dative capacity of the young animals is greater than that of 

 the adult animals, for when these two groups of animals have 

 received uranium nitrate in the same quantity per kilogram 

 the percentage of glucose in the urine of the young animals is 

 much less than is the percentage in the urine of the adult 

 animals. 



When we consider the unusual demand for activated oxy- 

 gen which likely exists in the tissues of rapidly growing 

 young animals, we see that such an assumption concerning 



