Effect of Quinine on Metabolism in Fasting Dogs and in Patients with Creatinuria. ∗

The observation that quinine diminishes the output of certain urinary substances has been confirmed by several investigators; however, practically all of the experiments heretofore reported were made on animals or human subjects receiving an adequate diet. Prior 1 appears to have been the only investigator who studied these effects of quinine during fasting and in his studies, which were made on only one dog, urea was the only urinary substance that was determined. Aoki 2 found a diminution in the output of creatine and creatinine when quinine was given to patients with hyperthyroidism and animals which had received desiccated thyroid gland. Since quinine is now used in the management of certain muscular disorders, e. g., myotonia congenita and muscular rigidity of paralysis agitans, it seemed of interest to further investigate the metabolic effects in an attempt to elucidate the action of the drug in these muscular syndromes.

Methods. There were two series of experiments, one on fasting dogs, the other on patients with muscular wasting and creatinuria. Female dogs were fasted for a preliminary period of at least 10 days and throughout the experiments but were allowed free access to drinking water. The animals were kept in metabolism cages which permitted quantitative collection of all voided urine specimens. At the end of each 24-hour period the animals were catheterized and the bladder rinsed with sterile distilled water.

After a control period of several days during which the urinary output of the various substances was constant, each animal was given quinine by mouth in doses of from 0.2 to 0.4 g. In some experiments a single dose was given; in others the drug was administered on successive days for periods up to 6 days. Twelve complete expedients on 4 dogs were made.