title: Variations of sodium, potassium, and chloride plasma levels in the rat with age and sex.
abstract: Sodium, potassium, and chloride plasma levels were measured in 294 male and 286 female Sprague Dawley rats [Crl:COBS CD(SD)BR]. The rats were distributed between four groups according to age (65-125 days, 235-275 days, 353-482 days, and 665-775 days). The levels of all three ions were higher in males than in females: about 1% higher for sodium and chloride and about 7% higher for potassium. Potassium and chloride values decreased with increasing age in both sexes; potassium decreased 12% and chloride decreased 6%. Distributions were not perfectly Gaussian but the departures from normality were slight. It was concluded, therefore, that determinations based on parametric statistical tests on the data are unlikely to be seriously biased by the distribution.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D002712:Chlorides / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium