| diuretic | <pharmacology> An agent that promotes the excretion of urine. Origin: Gr. Diouretikos = promoting urine (18 Nov 1997) |
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| diuretics | Agents that promote the excretion of urine through their effects on kidney function. (12 Dec 1998) |
| diuretics, mercurial | A group of organometallic compounds, now rarely used, that promote diuresis by inhibiting tubular reabsorption of sodium and chloride. (12 Dec 1998) |
| diuretics, osmotic | Diuretics that are filtered at the glomerulus and reabsorbed in the renal tubule only to a limited extent. They thus increase the amount of osmotically active solute in the urine and a corresponding increase in urine volume. These compounds also increase the osmolality of plasma, thereby increasing the diffusion of water from the intraocular and cerebrospinal fluids; they can be used for reducing the pressure and volume of these fluids. (12 Dec 1998) |
| diuretics, sulfamyl | Diuretics containing one or more sulfonamide groups. They are similar to the benzothiazide diuretics in their pharmacological actions, but differ chemically in the nature of the heterocyclic ring. (12 Dec 1998) |
| diuretics, thiazide | Diuretics characterised as analogs of 1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide. All have a common mechanism of action and differ primarily in the dose required to produce a given effect. They act directly on the kidney to increase the excretion of sodium chloride and water and also increase excretion of potassium ions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cardiac diuretic | A diuretic which acts by increasing function of the heart, and thereby improves renal perfusion. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| direct diuretic | A diuretic whose primary effect is on renal tubular function. (05 Mar 2000) |
| indirect diuretic | A diuretic that acts by increasing cardiac function or by increasing the state of hydration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| loop diuretic | A class of diuretic agents (e.g., furosemide, ethacrynic acid) that act by inhibiting reabsorption of sodium and chloride, not only in the proximal and distal tubules but also in Henle's loop. (05 Mar 2000) |