Effect of sodium saccharin and calcium saccharin on urinary parameters in rats fed Prolab 3200 or AIN-76 diet

The effects of the salt form of saccharin and of diet on urinary ion levels have been studied in rats. Sodium saccharin (NaS) or calcium saccharin (CaS) was fed at a level of 5% in either Agway Prolab 3200 diet or AIN-76 diet to male, 5-wk-old F344 rats for 10 wk. The AIN-76 diet contained considerably less calcium, sodium and potassium than the Prolab 3200 diet, and smaller amounts of these ions were eliminated over 24 hr in the urine of rats fed the AIN-76 diet. Although food consumption was less in the groups fed AIN-76, total urinary saccharinate ion excretion with either saccharin salt was comparable with, or even higher than, that excreted by rats fed either salt in the Prolab 3200 diet. Rats fed Prolab 3200 eliminated approximately equal amounts of saccharinate ion in the faeces and urine. Rats fed AIN-76 eliminated about 10–20 times as much saccharin in the urine as in the faeces. Total saccharin excretion (faecal and urinary) was not influenced by the salt form. Water intake and urine volume were lower in rats fed control AIN-76 diet in comparison with those fed Prolab 3200, and were increased above the control level in groups fed saccharin in the AIN-76 diet. Urine electrolyte levels and osmolality were lower in the groups fed AIN-76. In general, NaS administration in either diet resulted in increased urinary sodium compared with controls, and the pH was at, or above, the level of control rats. CaS resulted in increased urinary calcium and decreased pH. There were marked diurnal variations in the urinary excretion of the various electrolytes, pH, and urine volume over a 24-hr period in all rats. This diurnal variation was more pronounced in the rats fed the Prolab 3200 diet. These results indicate that NaS and CaS have marked effects on the excretion of urinary electrolytes, and that these effects are influenced by diet.