EXPERIMENTAL RENAL INSUFFICIENCY PRODUCED BY PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY

Abstract

Chanutin and Ferris¹ reduced renal tissue in the rat to a minimum compatible with life and demonstrated a progressive development of polyuria, albuminuria, retention of nitrogen, renal hypertrophy, hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. The animals were fed a stock diet containing a moderate amount of protein. Wood and Ethridge² reported pathologic changes in the kidney stumps of partially nephrectomized rats. They noted changes in the glomeruli, tubules, small arteries and arterioles. The arterial lesions were similar to those noted in human arteriosclerosis. In the physiologic and pathologic changes that are seen after subtotal nephrectomy an excellent opportunity is offered for studying the influence of various combinations of foodstuffs and metabolites on the damaged kidney. The present study was undertaken to ascertain the effect of feeding diets containing whole liver, liver protein and a concentrated aqueous extract of liver to animals with acute and potential renal insufficiency. The degree of