Survival of Rats After Temporary Complete Renal Ischemia.

Abstract

The main renal artery and vein of one kidney in adult rats were occluded for periods ranging from 1.5 to 4 hrs. Release of the clamps led to necrosis of proximal convoluted tubules and subsequent repair which was accompanied by marked renal atrophy. Three weeks later the opposite intact kidney was resected. This was followed either by compensatory hypertrophy of the atrophic kidney sufficient to sustain life or minimal hypertrophy which resulted in uremic death. If the original period of complete ischemia did not exceed 2 hrs., the kidney regained enough function to permit survival of the animal. At 3 hrs. duration the chance of survival was reduced to about half. Beyond 3 hrs. the capacity for compensatory hypertrophy was lost and the lesion was irreversible.