Renal Lesions in Chronic Hypertension Induced by Unilateral Nephrectomy in the Rat.

Abstract

The incidence of hypertension following unilateral nephrectomy is recorded in 100 rats. The development of hypertension was shown to be de-pendent on the status of the kidneys at the time of removal of the first kidney. If lesions are present, hypertension develops; if absent or minimal, the animals remain normotensive. The bearing of these observations on current theories as to the pathogenesis of exptl. hypertension is discussed. The effects of unilateral nephrectomy on the wt. of the heart and remaining kidney and the influence of various types of diet on the survival period following removal of the remaining kidney were also detd. Enlargement of the heart as a result of hypertrophy, as well as of the remaining kidney, may be correlated with the degree of hypertension induced by unilateral nephrectomy. Removal of K from the diet markedly prolongs the survival period following bilateral nephrectomy.