ABSTRACT
As discussed in previous chapters, several neuro-humoral and renal tubular transport
systems are involved in the maintenance of sodium balance. Many of these systems
actually represent therapeutic targets for which specific drugs have been developed. It is
therefore not surprising that many drugs have a major impact on sodium and water
balance. The best example is of course that of diuretics, which act at different sites along
the renal tubule to increase urinary sodium excretion, or blockers of the renin-
angiotensin-aldosterone system, which promote sodium excretion by interfering with the
renal hemodynamic and tubular properties of angiotensin II and aldosterone (1). In these
cases, the impact of the drug is clearly understood and is due to an expected and eventually
desired interference of the drug with a physiological renal function. With these
compounds, the renal effects may even contribute to the overall beneficial effects of the
drug class (2,3).
