Water and electrolyte in plasma, skin and skeletal muscles of young and growing guinea pigs.

Studies on the alterations of water and electrolytes in young and growing guinea pigs have shown that in the skin there was reduction of water, sodium and potassium contents with age while the chloride content was increased. In the skeletal muscle the same tendency was observed in reduction of water, sodium and potassium content but the chloride content was reduced with age. The decrease in sodium content of skin and that of potassium in the skeletal muscle were observed particularly in the oldest group of the present study. Plasma electrolytes were not altered.