The Use of Diamox, a Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor, as an Oral Diuretic in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

IT would be highly desirable to obtain a diuretic agent that could be given orally and yet act as effectively as parenterally administered mercurial diuretics, without producing significant toxic mani-festations. The xanthine diuretics,1 , 2 chemically related uracil derivatives3 , 4 and other preparations of mercurials5 , 6 have been ineffective, inconstant in effect or associated with unpleasant side actions or toxicity. Recently, additional mercurial diuretics for oral administration have been tested in patients with heart failure.7 8 9 Another approach to the development of a satis-factory oral diuretic is based on the observation that inhibition of carbonic anhydrase activity in renal-tubule cells not only impairs the tubular . . .