Creatinine is excreted by the human kidney in higher concentration, relative to plasma level, than any other normal urinary constituent. The exceptionally rapid elimination of certain organic compounds of iodine now used in excretion urography suggested that these substances might be excreted even more rapidly than creatinine. The observations described below compare the plasma clearances of urea, creatinine and organic iodine (skiodan, neoskiodan or diodrast, and hippuran 2) by normal human subjects. Skiodan was cleared from plasma at approximately the same rate as creatinine; neoskiodan and hippuran several times more rapidly than creatinine. Even in the presence of renal disease hippuran clearances were significantly greater than creatinine clearances, without relation to the type of renal lesion.
PROCEDUREAll subjects omitted breakfast on the day of study and were recumbent during the clearance periods. To a group of ten 3 subjects with normal or almost normal kidney function (Table I) water was given in different amounts to produce a wide range of diuresis. To a second group of seventeen patients with renal insufficiency water was given, with two exceptions (Cases 9 and 11, Table II), at the rate of 200 cc. hourly from three hours before the beginning of the first clearance period to the end of the last clearance period.Creatinine was administered orally in doses of 1 The expenses of this investigation were in large part paid by a grant from the Commonwealth Fund.2 Skiodan, sodium mono-iodo methane sulphonate, contains 52 per cent of iodine. Neoskiodan or diodrast, 3:5 di-iodo-4-pyridon-N-acetic acid diethanolamine, contains 50 per cent iodine. Hippuran, sodium ortho-iodo-hippurate, contains 34.4 per cent iodine, when allowance is made for moisture in the powdered substance.3 One subject received neoskiodan and hippuran.3 or 5 grams in the water given one hour before the beginning of the first clearance period. Skiodan and neoskiodan were given intravenously in doses of 13.0 cc. (iodine 2.70 grams) and 20.0 cc. (iodine 3.50 grams) of the respective commercial solutions, approximately fifteen minutes before the beginning of the first clearance period to allow for thorough mixing in the blood stream. Hippuran was administered orally in doses of 12 grams dissolved with the creatinine in the water taken one hour prior to the beginning of the first clearance period. Urine was collected over two periods, each approximately one hour in duration, and timed to the nearest minute. In order to estimate the percentage of the entire dose eliminated in a given period, the urine formed in the interval between the administration of the organic iodine compound and the beginning of the first period was also saved. Venous blood samples were collected (using lithium oxalate as anti-coagulant) at the beginning and end of each clearance period so that average plasma concentrations of urea, creatinine and iodine could be determined. The blood was centrifuged within ten minutes after it was drawn from the vein to avoid errors ari...