THE CAUSAL ROLE OF PLASMA ALBUMIN DEFICIENCY IN EXPERIMENTAL NEPHROTIC HYPERLIPEMIA AND HYPERCHOLESTEREMIA 1

Abstract

The prevention of external loss of urine in rats, either by ureteral ligation or by ureteral-vena caval anastomosis invariably prevented the hypercholester-emia and hyperlipemia otherwise observed following injection of rabbit anti-rat kidney serum. This suggests that the cholesterol and lipid abnormality seen in experimentally induced nephrosis is secondary to the external loss of one or more plasma substances. Prevention or correction of the plasma albumin deficiency in the nephrotic rat was seen to inhibit markedly the hypercholesteremia and hyperlipemia otherwise occurring in association with the decreased plasma albumin induced by injection of anti-kidney serum. It is suggested that the hyperlipemia and hypercholesteremia occurring in experimentally induced nephrosis result from the deficiency of circulating plasma albumin occurring in this disorder.