1) An influence of the arterial pressure either increasing or decreasing in the range of 80 mmHg to 250 mmHg on the renal function was observed in the isolated kidney of dogs with their own blood being circulated.2) Within the range of the arterial pressure from 80 mmHg to 210 or 220mmHg, urine excretion varied in proportion to increasing or decreasing pressure. But the increasing of the pressure over 210 or 220 mmHg markedly inhibited urine excretion.3) With increasing pressure, GFR was increased only slightly and RPF was also increased, but slightly in comparison with an increase in urine excretion. With increasing or decreasing pressure, urine excretion varied far greatly than it wonld have been expected. This was due to the rate of water reabsorption by the renal tubules.4) In experiment with the isolated kidney, the arterial pressure ranging from about 100 mmHg to 200 mm Hg is supposed to make its physiological condition intact. Still, a prolonged experiment over 6 hours is sure to cause a constriction of the blood vessel, which in turn may lead to discontinuance of the experi-ment.

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In this paper, the existence of the sympathetic cholinergic fibers in the greater splanchnic nerve was studied in comparison with the lumbar sympathetic trunk. In addition, another attempt was made to investigate the effect of electrical stimulation of the distal end of the thoracic vagal nerve on renal circulation. Sixty dogs, anesthetized with a combination of morphine hydrochloride (6 mg/kg, subcutaneously) and chloralose (70 mg/kg, intravenously) were used. These dogs were divided into 3 groups. In the first group, the distal end of the divided greater splanchnic nerve was electrically stimulated, and renal blood flow and renal perfusion pressure were recorded simultaneously. In the second group, the distal end of the divided lumbar sympathetic trunk was electrically stimulated and femoral blood flow and femoral perfusion pressure were recorded. In the third group, the distal end of the divided thoracic vagal nerve was electrically stimulated and renal blood flow and systemic arterial pressure were recorded. Following electrical stimulation of the greater splanchnic nerve, a renal vasoconstriction developed. Intravenous and intraarterial administration of reserpine reduced this response and guanethidine significantly minimized it, but a renal vasodilator response could not be observed after guanethidine administration. Effects of neostigmine, atropine and hemicholinium on the vasoconstriction following electrical stimulation were insignificant. Electrical stimulation of the lumber sympathetic trunk produced a vasoconstriction in the paw. The stimulation following intraarterial administration of guanethidine caused a vasodilatation in the paw. Atropinization after guanethidine abolished this vasodilater response. Intraarterial administration of neostigmine, atropine and hemicholinium alone did not have any definite effect on the changes in the circulation of the paw. Electrical stimulation of the thoracic vagal nerve had no effect on renal circulation. Accordingly, there could not be found any evidence suggesting the existence of the sympathetic cholinergic fibers, which exist in the lumbar sympathetic trunk, in the greater splanchnic nerve.It seems that the thoracic vagal nerve plays no role in the control of renal circulation,

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In an attempt to classify physiological effect of L-sodium aspartate (aspartate) on renal function, the renal tubular potential was measured with rats kidney (distal tububule) by a micropuncture method before and after administration of aspartate (1mM /kg, i.v.). Four kinds of groups of experimental animals were used, i. e. 1) nomal control rats ; 2) adrenalecto-mized rats; 3) rats daily administered 600 mg. /kg, amphenone B for ten days ; 4) rats administered 5 uM/ kg, hydoroxylamine. The outline of the experimental results is as follows: - 1) The intracellular potential in the renal tubule of control rat was changed deeper (increase) by 10 mV than the control value, for a few hours after intravenous injection of aspartate (1 mM/kg. rat body weight). This potential change was demonstrated to be assosiated with an increase of intracellular K and a decrease of intracellular Na concentration. 2) The intrtacellular potential in the rat treated with amphenone B (600 mg. /kg. /day, orally, for ten days) and adrenalectomized rat was shallower than the control value and it could not be recovered by aspartate administration. 3) Hydroxylamine, a competitive inhibitor of the condensing enzyme of oxalacetic acid and acetyl CoA, lowered the intracellular potential, wihie aspartate administration could restore or even elevate it above normal value. 4) Other substrates such as oxalacetic acid, DL-di-sodium malate, and sodium pyruvate can also increase intracellular potential, while α-keogulutaric acid or L-sodium glutamate has little effect. These findings suggest that aspartate can exert its action in the presence of mineralcorticoid, and support the view that aspartate and its substrate group which increase the intracellular potential, may display their action in providing energy for the action of mineralcorticoid.

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A simulation study on the kinetics of PSP excretion and distribution was performed with the aid of an analogue computer. It was indicated that the PSP excretion curve should resembled to an aperiodic damped oscillation. Although, when the urine flow is fairly high comparing to the volume of the urinary dead space, the excretion curve gradually fall with time. Therefore, it could be noted that some dead space during the urine flow should exist, when the PSP excretion curve was not a gradually fallen one. The clinical investigation demonstrated the propriety of this prospect, i. e., the most of the normal adult showed approximately gradually fallen excretion curves. On the other hand, the patients with abnormal excretion curve showed frequently any abnormality in the urinary tracts. Out of 1501 cases who received PSP excretion test as routine work of physical check up, 441 cases showed abnormal excretion curve, and subsequent urological examinations revealed 126 patients with some urological disorders. The most frequent causes of abnormal PSP excretion curve were urolithiasis (24 cases), prostatic hypertrophy and cancer (29 cases), polycystic kidney (15 cases), chronic pyelonephritis (11 cases), postoperative disorders in the small pelvis (7 cases). The less frequent causes were movable kidney (5 cases), cystitis (5 cases), atonic bladder (4 cases), compression of the ureter by a tumor (5 cases), tumor in the bladder (3 cases), bladder neck contracture (3 cases), and renal tuberculosis (2 cases). In addition, the continuous PSP excretion test gave a first clue to find out some urological abnormali-ties which are difficult to predict, such as vesicoureteral reflux (3 cases), retrocaval ureter (2 cases), and aberrant renal artery (1 case).

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Effects of dietary treatment on the clinical course of chronic renal failure were retrospectively studied in 11 fatal cases treated with low protein diet and 17 fatal cases treated with non-low protein diet. The low protein diet consists of lees than 30 g and the non-low protein diet, 50 g of protein per day. Results : 1. The uremic symptoms. such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, headache, insomnia, fatigue, and dyspnea, did not appear or was lessend for long time by low protein regimen so that the terminal stage of the patients was more tranquil. 2. The incidence of bleeding tendency was significantly lower in the low protein diet group than in the non-low protein diet group. 3. The blood NPN level during the test period in the non-low protein diet group was averagely about 30 to 40 mg/dl higher than in the low protein diet group. Deterioration of renal function and decrease of blood hemoglobin were by far delayed in the to u protein diet group. 4. It was concluded that low protein diet in the trcatment of chronic renal failure prolonged the life.

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In spite of the well-known fact that nephritis will do harm on pregnancy, only few studies have been made on the subject from the functional point of view. Clinical picture of nephritis reveals great variety. Particularly it shows more complicating face at the time of pregnancy because of the influence of preg-nancy upon the renal physiology, and the close resemblance of the clinical signs between renal diseases and preeclamptic toxemia. Observations were made on the clinical cource and the renal function of the healed acute and the chronic nephritic patients during and after pregnancy. 1) The material of this study were 267 patients who were seen at Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hospital and Hospital of Tokyo University during 10 years since 1957; primigravida 258 cases of them with definite history of nephritis and rest of them, 9 cases with no history of it but revealed chronic nephritis after renal biopsy. 2) a) Pregnancy with "healed acute nephritic": 234 cases were classified as "healed acute nephritis" which revealed no proteinuria or hypertension and were considered to be curred by the time of the first examination at the obstetric clinic prior to 20 th week of pregnancy. Preeclamptic toxemia developed in 25 (10.7%) of 234 cases. Morbidity rate of this is about same with that of the pregnant without predisposing factors. However, the severe toxemia especially with early-onset developed frequently among these "healed acute nephritis" group, and many of them retained the increased proteinuria for a long time as a sequelae, and several cases of them determined finally as chronic nephritis by means of renal biopsy. It is suggested that clinically once-cured nephritis may have appeared again with the onset of toxemia, b) Pregnancy with chronic nephritis 33 cases of this series were classified pregnancy with chronic nephritis. 21 cases out of them revealed proteinuria and rest of them, 12 cases revealed both proteinuria and hypertension at the first examination. Morbidity rate of superimposed toxemia (blood pressure higher than 160 mmHg) in proteinuric-type nephritis (includes nephrotic syndrome) was as high as 30%. The foetal prognosis of this group was definitely poor. Before and during pregnancy, the renal function rather was surprisingly good in most of them (GFR more than 70 ml/min.) and it remained normal after delivery without relating to the occurence of toxemic symptoms. Though it seems to be that pregnancy does not affect nephritis, but as a matter of fact these cases often increased and retained proteinuria. In hypertensive-type nephritis, the renal function was not good generally before and during pregnancy (GFR under 70 ml/min.). The complication of toxemic symptoms was found frequently in these cases. Then it became impossible to continue pregnancy. After delivery, the renal function remained poor and some of them seemed to have developed the nephritic process with the circulatory disturbance of superimposed toxemia. Generally speaking, it is not advisable to be pregnant in this type of nephritis. 3) Finally, the prognosis of the mothers with chronic nephritis and that of their foetus largely depend greatly on the severity of the renal impairment existed before pregnancy. Author has an impression that safety level functionally is considered 70 ml/min., or more on the GFR. However, the complication of superimposed toxemia seems to be another factor to influence the coerce of pregnancy both on the mother and foetus and it further deteriorate the already-impaired function of the kidney. Apparently, foetal prognosis is poor but sometimes nephritic process may also develop to the mothers in such cases, especially when renal function was already poor before pregnancy (GFR under 70 ml/min.) 4) Summary : From the study of 267 cases of pregnant women, author suggests strongly to set a standard of the safety level at 70 ml/min, of GFR for the pregnancy complicated with nephritis, as it divides progn

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Ammonia production as a biochemical index of renal acid excretion has been widely accepted to play an important role of the mechanisms for regulating acid-base equilibrium of the body fluied. The current works in this field indicate that glutaminase I activity of renal tissue is closely related to ammonia production. The purpose of the present investigation is to clarify the relationship of glutaminase I activity of renal tissue, urinary ammonia excretion and urine pH under the various conditions. 1. In the cortex of normal rat kidney, glutaminase activity has been elevated in connection with increase of excretion of urine ammonia, and ammonia excretion was increased in proportion to the decr-ease of urine pH. On the contrary, the above-mentioned relationship was not observed in the renal medulla. In acidosis, glutaminase I activity was most intensely stained in the proximal convoluted and straigt tubules by means of the histochemical staining. 2. Although the enzyme activity was slightly elevated in mild nephritis, glutaminase I activity was decreased in proportion to the degree of damage in the nephritis. 3. In the cortex and medulla of the ischemic kidney, glutaminase I activity showed a striking decrease, but the enzyme activity in the cotex of the control kidney has not altered in comparison with the non-treated group. Under the experimental conditon, there was a tendency that the change in urinary ammonia excretion was not proportional to that of glutaminase I activity, which may imply the existence of ammonia produ-ction process other than glutamine-glutaminase system. 4. The enzyme activity of cortex and medulla showed a fall in the uninephrectomized group as co-mpared to control. Urine pH was markedly reduced, whereas urinary ammonia excretion was unchanged. 5. The enzyme activity in the adrenalectomized group was slightly lower than that in the non-treated group, while urinary ammonia excretion was characteristically decreased to one-third of the control group.

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