Abstract
Binger (1) in 1917 reported the production of tetany in dogs by the intravenous injection of O-phosphates in amounts equivalent to 150 mg. of phosphorus per kilogram of body weight. There was drop of serum calcium from the normal level of 10 mg./100 cc. blood to approximately 6 mg./100 cc. blood. | In 1930 Bulger (2) and his coworkers observed that the oral administration of inorganic phosphate decreased the hypercalcemia in two patients with hyperparathyroidism. Two years later, Albright et al (3) confirmed this observation in two additional patients with hyperparathyroidism. In 1965, Goldsmith and Ingbar (4) suggested the treatment of hypercalcemia with small phosphate supplements. | Recently there has been increasing clinical interest in treating hypercalcemia of various etiologies in humans with oral or intravenous phosphate administration. In 1966, Goldsmith and Ingbar (5) reported a series of 20 hypercalcemie patients in whom phosphate safely lowered the serum calcium. | Subsequently, Shackney and Hasson (6) in 1967, reported serious side effects with phosphate administration, particularly hypotension and renal failure. To our knowledge, however, no study has been done in detail to evaluate the chemical and hemodynamic effects of phosphate infusion in dogs. | The present study was undertaken, therefore, to determine the effects of intravenous phosphate infusion on blood chemistries particularly serum calcium, phosphorus, potassium and blood urea nitrogen. In order that this drug may be evaluated subsequently as a therapeutic agent for digitalis toxicity, hemodynamic effects including cardiac outputs, pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures and resistances were also studied in detail.