Sodium Metabolism and Its Requirement during Reproduction in Female Rats

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Abstract
Sodium metabolism and reproductive performance were studied in 80 young female rats fed a corn-soybean meal-casein diet containing sodium at one of five levels from 0.01 to 0.09%. Data were obtained on a) the age and body weight when vaginal opening occurred; b) length of estrus cycle and duration of estrus; c) efficiency of mating; d) feed intake and body weight changes during gestation; e) litter size and pup birth weight; f) water, fat and sodium content of newly born pups; g) changes in hematocrit and plasma sodium during gestation; h) bone sodium content, and i) histology of the adrenals and kidneys. The rats fed 0.01% sodium gave birth to some viable pups but practically all measures of reproductive performance were adversely affected. With 0.03% dietary sodium, litter size was not affected but the pups were smaller at birth. No differences in reproduction or tissue sodium were found among the rats fed either 0.05, 0.07 or 0.09% sodium although a difference was noted in the juxtaglomerular indices.