Clearance studies on the renal action of porins extracted from Salmonella typhimurium.

The effects of porins on renal hemodynamics and on the renal handling of salt and water were studied in rats. The animals injected with 100 micrograms/kg of porins showed an important change in renal potassium handling. In fact the total potassium excretion decreased significantly (p less than 0.02) from 1.11 +/- 0.13 to 0.495 +/- 0.069 muEq/min/100 g and was significantly associated to a reduction of fractional potassium excretion from 21.6 +/- 4.1% to 12.53 +/- 0.95% (p less than 0.001). It is speculated that porins have the capability to close the potassium channels.