Impaired peritoneal fluid drainage in nephrogenic ascites

In three chronic hemodialysis patients nephrogenic ascites and in four patients with ascites of other causes the rate of transfer of fluid from peritoneal cavity to plasma was measured by a radio-labelled albumin method. Ascitic fluid removal rate was lowered in the patients with nephrogenic ascites (median 14, range 10 to 21ml/hr) than in those with normal renal function (median 45, range 10 to 73 ml/hr). These results suggest that lymphatic drainage of the peritoneum is impaired in nephrogenic ascites and that this may contributed to the development of the condition and to the propensity of fluid overloaded dialysis patients to develop ascites. A retained substance or one liberated from abnormal kidneys nay be responsible for reversible for reversible depression of lymphatic flow in uremia. (AU)

Production of adjuvant ascitic fluid in the white rat

A simple method of inducing ascites in the laboratory white rat by intraperitoneal administration of Freund's complete adjuvant is described. Female rats were found to produce ascitic fluids more reliably than males with an average volume yield of 60 ml per rat. The performance of immune rat ascitic fluids in complement fixation tests was found to be excellent. (AU)