Renal Structural And Physiological Alterations Subsequent To Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

Abstract

Complete obstruction of the right ureter of male rabbits for eight weeks resulted in filling of the obstructed kidney with clear urine, no precipitation or stone formation. The calyces and pelvis were distinctly dilated with parenchymal atrophy, the medulla was almost completely destroyed and the cortex was reduced to a thin extensively sclerotic rim. When compared with the contralateral control kidney, the parenchymal weight and water content of the obstructed kidney were distinctly greater. From the histological point of view, some of the renal tubules were dilated, others atrophied and showed chronic interstitial inflammatory changes more sever than those in the glomeruli. Urinary sodium concentration of the obstructed kidney was significantly greater ( P< 0.01) while that of potassium and urea were lower (P < 0.01) than those of the controls. In the obstructed kidney, the tissue concentration gradients of sodium, potassium and urea between the cortex and papillary tip were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in comparison to the control kindney. Also, renal Na-K-ATPase activity in the different zones of the obstructed kidney was greatly lower (P < 0.01) than those in control for all renal zones. While renal angiotensin-1-converting enzyme activity was higher in the obstructed kidney than that in control.