EFFECTS OF STARVATION AND OF SELENIUM DEFICIENCY ON THE URINARY-EXCRETION OF ELECTROLYTES, KETONE-BODIES, CREATININE, UREA AND URIC-ACID

The aim of this study was to investigate whether urinary excretion of ether compounds than ketone bodies are also increased in starved, sele nium (Se)-deficient rats. Two groups of male rats were fed an Se-defic ient diet with 0.009 mg Se/kg, (''Se-deficient'' and ''Se-repleted'') and one group was fed the same diet with 0.23 mg Se/kg as control for eleven weeks. The urinary excretion of ketone bodies was highly enhanc ed in Se deficiency, with a 7-fold increase in 3-hydroxybutyrate and a n 18-fold increase in acetoacetate. Despite this, the plasma concentra tion of ketone bodies and the glomerular filtration rate were unaffect ed in the Se-deficient rats. Starvation resulted in a significant decr ease in the urinary content of potassium, magnesium and calcium, in bo th dietary groups of rats and of urea in the Se-adequate group. No Se- dependent difference was noted for the urinary excretion of these comp ounds or of sodium, phosphate, creatinine and uric acid in any of the groups. This was unexpected in view of certain previous results and in dicates that disturbances in the renal handling of compounds are progr essive in Se deficiency, with increased excretion of ketone bodies bei ng an early event while more severe deficiency is required to impair t he renal handling of electrolytes and other compounds studied.