[Water-salt metabolism in rats with varying body orientation relative to Earth's gravitation vector].

A prolonged maintenance of rats with the long axis of the body positioned at +15 degrees or -15 degrees to the horizontal influenced their fluid-electrolyte metabolism. The experiments were carried out on 56 noninbred rats whose motor activity was diminished for 32 days. A close correlation between fluid-electrolyte metabolism and body position was established. As compared to the horizontal rats, the rats with the head at +15 degrees showed decreases in body weight losses, diuresis, kali- and natriuresis, whereas the rats with the head at -15 degrees exhibited increases of the parameters.