Studies in Experimental Nephritis. 33 



21 (1199) 



Studies in experimental nephritis. 



By N. Umeda and A. I. RlNGER. 



[From the Chemical Laboratories of the Montefiore Hospital, New 



York City.] 



It was shown by Underhill and his collaborators and was 

 corroborated by Pearce and Ringer, that the administration of 

 tartaric acid to animals produces a very marked nephritis. 



The object of our present research was to find out how the 

 tartaric acid, which is so closely related to chemical substances 

 that undoubtedly play a role in intermediary metabolism, can 

 give rise to nephritis. 



Tartaric acid does not pass through animal membranes or 

 animal cells very readily. This is known from the fact that the 

 salts of tartaric when given by mouth, are but slightly absorbed, 

 and act as cathartics. We, therefore, reasoned that, since the 

 kidney cells are more permeable to salts than are the ordinary cells 

 of the body, and since tartaric acid forms a salt with calcium which 

 has a very low degree of solubility, that, in all probability, the 

 tartaric acid, while passing through the kidney cells, combined 

 with the calcium salts of the kidney cells, forming an insoluble 

 calcium tartrate, which becomes precipitated in the body of the 

 cell, and thus caused the complete destruction of the cell. 



If the line of our reasoning is correct, then, the administration 

 of oxalic acid should be followed by a similar destruction of the 

 kidney tissues, and this is exactly what we found. 



In a series of animals one gram of potassium oxalate was 

 administered subcutaneously. The animals lived for from 24 to 

 48 hours, during which time the blood changes were studied. 

 After death, autopsy was performed and microscopical examination 

 of the organs was made by Dr. B. S. Klein, of the pathological 

 laboratory of the Montefiore Hospital. 



From his reports we may draw the conclusion that oxalic acid 

 in small quantities produces a nephritis similar to that of tartaric 

 acid. 



