Effect of Alteration of Serum Potassium on Ureteral Peristalsis

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Abstract
KNOWLEDGE OF ureteral peristalsis has been inadequate because of the low sensitivity of the recording instruments used. The organs under study are small, and conventional instrumentation distorts their function. Although urine is transported through the urinary tract by means of force produced by the peristaltic activity of the smooth muscles of the ureteral wall, the details of hydrodynamics have escaped scrutiny. Sensitive electronic strain gauges are now available to record phasic pressure fluctuations with minimal volume changes. These are used with small-caliber, nonobstructing catheters to avoid retention of urine which complicated previous methods used to record ureteral peristalsis. This development has given new impetus to the study of the physiology and pathophysiology of the upper urinary tract. Experiments with this equipment demonstrate that the activity of the normal ureter is remarkably independent of impulses of neuromuscular origin and it is not influenced by the administration of drugs. Because potassium has

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