Absorption of sodium and chloride in continent reservoirs for urine: comparison of ileal and colonic reservoirs.

The absorptive capacity of urinary reservoir mucosa was studied by measuring the fractions of 22sodium and 36chloride absorbed after instillation into reservoirs constructed from an ileal or a colonic segment. The absorption of 22sodium did not differ between the 2 reservoir types but absorption of 36chloride was greater in the colonic reservoirs. The levels of chloride in serum were significantly higher in patients with a colonic than in those with an ileal reservoir. In the ileal reservoirs the absorptive capacity was greater for 22sodium than for 36chloride.