RESPONSE OF MALE-RATS TO SODIUM SACCHARIN INGESTION - URINE COMPOSITION AND MINERAL BALANCE

Sodium saccharin was fed to weanling male rats for 4 wk at levels up to 7·5% of the diet. The ingestion of saccharin led to dose-related decreases in growth and possibly in feed efficiency. It also caused marked increases in faecal water content, faecal excretion of Na and K, and urinary excretion of Ca, Mg and P. There were dose-related increases in urine volume and decreases in urinary pH. No crystalluria was observed. The concentration of saccharin in plasma was a linear function of the saccharin level in the diet, and at dietary level of 3% and greater, a dose-related fraction of the saccharin was bound to plasma protein. The blood-cell lysates did not contain measurable levels of saccharin, showing that saccharin does not readily cross cell membranes. © 1979.