DIFFERENTIAL EFFECT OF SWELLING AND ANOXIA ON KIDNEY FUNCTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF INTRACELLULAR ORGAN PRESERVATION SOLUTIONS

Abstract

To differentiate the effects of swelling and anoxia on kidney function, a canine experimental model is used. After complete liberation of kidneys and their vessels from adjacent tissues, each kidney is submitted to 10 min of hypotonic flushing or to 60 min of normothermic anoxia. Swellings resulting from these 2 procedures are equal and permit the study of the consequences of anoxia independently from swelling. Edema is determined by water content and renal blood flow is measured. Kidney function is studied by time of restoration of urinary flow, creatinine and inulin clearances and fractional water reabsorption. Nonanoxic edema is much less damaging than anoxic edema; anoxic injury is not the simple consequence of spatial disruption of cell architecture. The beneficial effects of intracellular organ preservation solutions were shown. Apparently, anoxia is better tolerated in the absence of swelling, injuries induced by anoxia and by swelling are cumulative, and the efficiency of intracellular solutions cannot be attributed solely to the preventive effect on swelling, considered as lethal for the cell.