Metaplasia of the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule: a histopathological survey of the human kidney

Human kidney sections taken at autopsy were examined to determine the incidence of metaplasia of the Bowman's parietal epithelium. Autopsy records were consulted to determine if there was any correlation between clinical disease, histopathological changes in organ systems and metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. The sections represented both sexes in 9 age groups from 2 to 87 years. The sections were fixed in neutral formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 6 microns, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. A total of 129 kidney sections, representing 129 individuals, were evaluated. One hundred renal corpuscles were counted per section and the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule was classified as normal (squamous) or metaplastic (cuboidal). Of the 129 kidneys examined, 69 (53%) had metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. Of the 87 male kidneys, 51 (59%) exhibited metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. Of the 42 female kidneys examined, 18 (43%) of the kidneys had metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. On average, in kidneys with metaplasia, 4% of the renal corpuscles had metaplasia of Bowman's parietal layer. The lesion was present in both sexes in all age groups. The autopsy records revealed that there was no common clinical condition associated with the metaplastic lesion, but metaplasia of Bowman's parietal epithelium was consistently present with hepatic congestion and/or fatty changes.     

Experimental Narthecium ossifragum nephrotoxicity in cervids from Norway

One moose (Alces alces), two red deer (Cervus elaphus), two reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and two fallow deer (Dama dama) were dosed intraruminally with an aqueous extract made from 30 g of bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) (wet weight) per kg live weight. The moose and one of the two reindeer were mildly depressed and had reduced appetite 3 to 7 days and 1 to 4 days after dosing, respectively. The serum creatinine and urea concentrations increased markedly in the moose and red deer, and moderately in the reindeer. No increase in serum creatinine and urea was observed in the fallow deer. Histopathological examination of the kidneys of the animals, killed 8 to 10 days after dosing, revealed tubular epithelial cell degeneration, necrosis, and regeneration in the moose, red deer and reindeer. The renal lesions were severe in the moose, moderate in the red deer and mild in the reindeer. No histopathological lesions were seen in the kidneys of the fallow deer.     

Heavy metals in white-tailed deer living near a zinc smelter in Pennsylvania

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann) shot within 20 km of the zinc smelters in the Palmerton, Pennsylvania area contained extremely high renal concentrations of cadmium (372 ppm dry weight (dw] and zinc (600 ppm dw). The deer with the highest renal zinc concentration was shot 4 km from the smelters and had joint lesions similar to those seen in zinc-poisoned horses from the same area. The highest concentrations of lead in both hard and soft tissues were relatively low, 10.9 ppm dw in a sample of teeth, 17.4 ppm dw in a metacarpus, and 4.9 ppm dw in a kidney.     

Metaplasia of the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule in the human kidney: incidence in alcoholic liver disease and hypertension

This report is the second of two surveys to determine the incidence of metaplasia of Bowman's parietal epithelium in the human kidney. Human kidney sections obtained at autopsy at the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, were examined with the light microscope. The kidneys were fixed in neutral formalin, sectioned at 6 microns and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Autopsy records were consulted after kidney section examination to determine if there was any correlation between clinical disease, histopathological changes in organ systems and metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. The kidney sections represented both sexes in 8 age groups, from less than one year to 80 years. A total of 174 kidneys, representing 174 individuals, were evaluated. One hundred renal corpuscles were counted per section and the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule was classified as normal (squamous) or metaplastic (cuboidal). Of the 174 kidneys examined, 137 (79%)--79 male and 58 female--had metaplasia of Bowman's capsule. On the average, in the kidneys with the lesion, 6% of the renal corpuscles had metaplasia of Bowman's parietal layer. The lesion was present in both sexes in all age groups. The autopsy records revealed that metaplasia of Bowman's parietal epithelium was usually present with hepatic fatty changes and/or congestion. Alcoholic liver disease and hypertension represented the most frequent clinical diseases in the sample; these conditions had the highest incidence of metaplasia. Twenty-six of the 174 kidney samples were from individuals with alcoholic liver disease, all of whom had metaplasia of Bowman's capsule.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Impaired blood flow autoregulation in nonfiltering kidneys: effects of theophylline administration

To investigate blood flow autoregulation in filtering and nonfiltering kidneys, renal blood flow was determined during graded reductions in renal perfusion pressure in seven anesthetized dogs containing both a filtering and nonfiltering kidney. In each dog, one kidney was made nonfiltering by the method of EH Blaine, JO Davis, and RT Witty (Circ Res 27:1081-1089, 1970). Renal perfusion pressure was decreased from 129 to 115, 99, and 83 mm Hg by stepwise constriction of the suprarenal aorta. In filtering kidneys, the maximum decrease in renal perfusion pressure reduced renal blood flow only 20.1% of control whereas renal blood flow of nonfiltering kidneys decreased by 41.0% of control. During aortic constriction, renal vascular resistance of nonfiltering kidneys remained unchanged or slightly increased. These hemodynamic changes were associated with significantly greater autoregulation indices in nonfiltering kidneys. In eight dogs with nonfiltering kidneys, competitive inhibition of adenosine with theophylline (9 mg/kg iv) restored autoregulation of renal blood flow as shown by significant decreases in renal vascular resistance. These data indicate that in the nonfiltering kidney model, autoregulation of renal blood flow is impaired. It is suggested that this impaired autoregulatory response may result from renal ischemia and the vasoconstrictor influence of elevated intrarenal adenosine concentration.     

微创经皮肾镜碎石取石术治疗特殊肾结石的临床疗效观察

目的：研究微创经皮肾镜碎石取石术治疗特殊鹿角型或多发肾结石中的临床疗效和安全性。方法：回顾性分析2007年1月-2013年3月我院收治的37例采用微创经皮肾镜碎石取石术（PCNL）手术方式治疗的特殊鹿角形或多发肾结石患者的临床资料。结果：37例患者中,孤立肾9例、马蹄肾7例、海绵肾和多囊肾7例、儿童患者14例。成人结石直径（3．2±0．3）cm,儿童结石直径（2．2±0．2）cm。37例患者均一期单通道情况下顺利完成手术,单次手术成功率100％,结石清除率91．2％（34／37）,平均手术时间（94±21．6）min,平均出血量（62±12．3）mL,术后1月复查B超提示肾脏积水减轻,肾脏功能血肌酐较术前降低,术后一月复查KUB提示3例肾脏下盏少量残留结石,4例患者出现术后低热症状。结论：采用PCNL治疗特殊鹿角形或多发肾结石的安全性好、结石清除率高、并发症较少。     

Optimizing the sampling effort to evaluate body condition in ungulates: A case study on red deer

Body condition is a useful measure of the nutritional status and performance in ungulates. The most widely used indicators of body condition are based on fat reserves, mainly those surrounding the kidneys. To estimate the body condition in large herbivores, researchers often collect and pool the data from both kidneys and their perirenal fat in order to compensate for potential differences between the body condition indicators obtained from the left and right kidneys. Since these differences do not seem to be properly established in wildlife, we checked for the potential differences between the body condition indicators, derived from both kidneys, in wild ungulates. In the present study, we used red deer Cervus elaphus, both under experimental and field conditions, as a model to analyse the patterns of response of the body condition indicators, calculated from left and right kidneys, to supplementary feeding, sex, age class and season. By considering two analytical approaches – kidney fat index and fat weight (including kidney weight as a covariate) – we consistently obtained similar statistical results and the same ecological interpretations by using left, right and average indicators for all the factors tested. In the experimental study, supplementary feeding had a significant effect on all the body condition indicators of red deer hinds. Under field circumstances, the condition indicators were statistically higher in females than in males and they increased with age. Sex related differences were significant in the winter. Taking into account our results, we hypothesize that information from only one kidney will be enough to assess the body condition in red deer and probably in other wild ungulates. However, a standardized sample (i.e. always using the same kidney and associated fat) should be used, while a better understanding regarding possible asymmetries in the amount of the energy reserves on each side of the animals’ bodies has not been reached. Our study has clear implications concerning wildlife monitoring since it represents a considerable reduction of time and effort, both in the field (collecting the samples) and in the laboratory (processing and weighing the samples) when evaluating the body condition of individuals and populations.     

Branched Renal Calculi

Surgical operation on 30 kidneys was carried out for branched renal calculi, with no operative mortality. Of 23 kidneys in which conservative surgical procedures were used, 83 percent are now stone-free. When all stones were successfully removed, cultures of urine were sterile in 80 percent of cases, but when fragments remained, no patient was infection-free. It was found that impaired renal function need not be a contraindication to surgical operation, and indeed that in five of seven patients with impaired renal function, serum creatinine levels either remained stable or improved. We believe that surgical removal is the most conservative management of branched renal calculi.     

亲属活体供肾的病理改变及其临床相关性

目的 探讨亲属活体供肾的病理改变与类型,分析供肾病理改变与供体临床预后的相关性.方法 2007 年5 月至2008 年7 月完成59 例亲属活体供肾肾移植,供肾灌注后用Trucut 肾活检针(18 G)行肾下极穿刺活检,常规行光镜检查和免疫组化检查.供体术后观察血清肌酐、尿常规和尿生化等.结果 55 岁以下供者肾脏出现...     

Effects of hypothermic kidney preservation on the isolated perfused kidney: a comparison of reperfusion methods

Two isolated-perfused kidney methods were used to study the effects of hypothermic preservation on renal function in dog kidneys. The isolated-machine-perfused kidney (IMPK) used an in vitro perfusion technique--the perfusate was a Krebs-bicarbonate type delivered to the kidney at 37 degrees C by a mechanical pump at a constant pressure (100 mm Hg). The isolated-blood-perfused kidney (IBPK) utilized transplantation of the preserved kidney to the femoral vasculature. Renal function (urine analysis) was determined over a 1-hr reperfusion interval and included GFR (creatinine clearance), urine formation, and Na+ reabsorption. Kidneys preserved for only 24 hr by cold storage in either Collins'--C3 solution or in hypotonic citrate and kidneys hypothermically perfused for 24 hr demonstrated greater retention of renal function when reperfused by blood (IBPK) than with the in vitro perfusate (IMPK). The GFR was reduced by 38-58% when tested with the IBPK, but by 80-90% when tested with the IMPK. Na+ reabsorption was normal (97%) with blood reperfusion but was reduced to 36-50% in cold-stored kidneys and 82% in hypothermically perfused kidneys determined by machine reperfusion (IMPK). However, kidneys perfused for 72 hr demonstrated more similar renal functions when tested by either IMPK or IBPK. GFR was reduced to 20% (IBPK) and 11% (IMPK) and Na+ reabsorption averaged 76-85% (IBPK or IMPK). These results suggest that either reperfusion method is suitable for determining the effects of renal preservation on kidney function in kidneys preserved for 72 hr but, for short-term preserved kidneys (24 hr), the IBPK model may be preferred.     

The renal cortical lymphatic system in the rat, hamster, and rabbit

Rat, hamster, and rabbit renal cortical lymphatics were examined by light and electron microscopy. Rat and hamster kidneys possessed both intra- and interlobular lymphatics that were structurally similar at the light microscopic level. Ultrastructural examination of the hamster lymphatic endothelium, however, revealed an unusual arrangement of cytoplasmic extensions not seen in the other two species. The intralobular lymphatics were related primarily to tubules, afferent arterioles, and renal corpuscles and were consistent with lymph formation from both plasma filtrate and tubular reabsorbate. Interlobular lymphatics were seen in connective tissue associated with the interlobular blood vessels. Rabbit cortex contained only interlobular lymphatics. Cross-sectional area, maximum diameter, volume density, and profile density were determined by stereological measurements using a computer-based image analyzer. The morphological data from the rat were used, in combination with published values for lymph flow, to calculate the rate of lymph formation per unit area of endothelium in lymphatics of the renal cortex. Among kidneys fixed by retrograde perfusion, the cortical lymphatic system was most extensive in maximum diameter, volume density, and profile density. It was smallest in the rabbit and intermediate in the rat. Lower volume and profile density were found for rat kidneys fixed by the dripping technique. It was concluded that: tubular reabsorbate probably contributes to renal lymph in the rat and hamster, but not in the rabbit; significant differences exist in the extent of the renal lymphatic systems among the three species, with the hamster kidney having the richest network and the rabbit the poorest; the method of fixation influences the measured size and density of renal cortical lymphatics; and the estimated rate of lymph formation in the kidney of the rat is roughly comparable to that in the dog.     

Assessment of a test of renal viability.

A test of renal viability using the uptake of 125I-iodohippurate by kidney biopsy specimens has been developed. It is applicable to all kidneys irrespective of the method of storage. The uptake of 125I-iodohippurate in experimental kidneys correlated well with warm or cold ischaemia time and subsequent renal function. The test was used for human cadaver kidneys offered for transplantation and there was good correlation between iodohippurate uptake and warm ischaemic time. With this test, prediction of renal function was accurate in 85% of human cadaver kidneys transplanted. Pulsatile perfusion had no effect on cadaver kidneys as measured by this test.     

The relationship between kidney fat index and marrow fat percentage as indicators of condition in Red deer stags (Cervus eluphus)

The level of fat reserves of an animal gives a good indication of body condition. Riney (1955) who studied various methods of evaluating condition in Red deer in New Zealand considered that fat was deposited in a pre-determined sequence over the range of body weight studied, which had been described earlier by Hammond (1932) as a general sequence in farm animals. Fat was deposited firstly in the bone marrow, then around the kidney, and finally subcutaneously. He concluded that kidney fat, expressed as a percentage of kidney weight, was the best index of condition as it embraced almost the entire range of physical condition. However, several authors have noted that small areas of fat are found around the kidneys of starved animals with marrow fat percentages < 80% (Ransom, 1965; Brooks, Hanks & Ludbrook, 1977; Anderson, Medin & Bowden, 1972). This means that values for kidney fat index of below < 40% may not be reliable, as another fat store, the marrow fat is depleted in parallel with it and not after it as Riney (1955) suggested. The relationship between kidney fat index and marrow fat at low levels of kidney fat index has been shown for White tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus (Ransom, 1963, Eland Taurotragus oryx , Impala (Aepyceros melampus) and Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Brooks et al. , 1977 and Mule deer 0. hemionus (Trainer, Hartmann & Kistner, 1979) but has never been shown for Red deer. The aim of this study was to accomplish this.     

Collecting duct origin of rat renal clear cell tumors

The renal tubular segment from which clear cell tumors originate was investigated in the kidneys of rats treated with N-nitrosomorpholine. This tumor type, which in the rat closely resembles that in man, is made up of clear and granular acidophilic cells and arises from tubules lined by clear cells. The tubular origin of the tumors was established in serial sections by demonstrating connections between both clear cell tumors and tubules lined by clear cells, and renal tubules of normal appearance. In 45 clear cell lesions (17 tumors and 28 tubules) one or more such connections were identified which belonged to the collecting system. In accordance with their localisation in the kidney, the clear cell lesions were connected predominantly to tubules of the cortical collecting system and occasionally to outer medullary collecting ducts. As previously reported, oncocytic tubules and microoncocytomas were observed to originate from the same portions of the collecting system. Rarely, microadenomas and tubules consisting of both oncocytes and clear or granular acidophilic cells were also observed in the kidneys studied.     

Experimental Dirofilaria immitis-associated glomerulonephritis induced in part by in situ formation of immune complexes in the glomerular capillary wall

Eight dogs were immunized with an aqueous-soluble extract of adult Dirofilaria immitis. Subsequent to at least 7-fold increases in antibody titer, the left renal artery of each dog was infused with 6 mg of D. immitis antigen. Fourteen days after infusion, the left kidney was compared to the right kidney and preinfusion biopsies. All dogs developed glomerular lesions in the left kidney characterized by 1 or more of the following: mesangial cell proliferation, neutrophil infiltration, increased periodic acid-Schiff-positive staining of the mesangium and glomerular basement membrane (GBM), fibrin deposition, and thickening of the GBM. Left kidney glomerular immunofluorescence was positive in 7 of the 8 dogs using polyclonal antisera for canine IgG and C3 in a linear or fine granular pattern. Ultrastructural lesions were present in the left kidney of all dogs and consisted of irregular GBM thickening, intramembranous and mesangial electron-dense deposits, and mesangial and endothelial cell proliferation. Antibodies directed against D. immitis antigen were demonstrated in all kidney eluates from the left kidney. The right kidneys of 3 of the dogs developed lesions; however, in comparison to the left kidney, the lesions in the right kidneys were inconsistent, mild, and focal. The histologic findings in the left kidney were similar to those observed in dogs with naturally occurring D. immitis infections. In sham-immunized control dogs, renal arterial infusion of D. immitis antigen did not cause consistent immune complex glomerulonephritis; however, antigen adherence to glomerular capillary walls was observed by immunofluorescent microscopy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Strain difference in expression of the adult-type polycystic kidney disease gene, pcy, in the mouse

DBA/2FG-pcy and C57BL/6FG-pcy congenic strains were established by transferring the polycystic kidney disease gene, pcy, to DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice. We carried out pathological and hematological examinations of these strains at 4, 8, 16 and 30 weeks of age. In DBA/2FG-pcy mice more than 8 weeks of age, macroscopic renal cysts were observed on the surface of both kidneys. Their kidneys weight was significantly greater than in DBA/2 mice at all ages examined. Microscopic renal cysts were evenly distributed at 4, 8 and 16 weeks of age. At 30 weeks of age, the kidneys were filled with numerous polycysts. In C57BL/6FG-pcy mice, no macroscopic renal cysts were found until the animals were 30 weeks old, and the weight of their kidneys was greater than in B6 mice of the same age. From 8 weeks of age on, a limited number of microscopic renal cysts was observed, and many renal cysts were found adjacent to the enlarged Bowman's capsules. With age, the red blood cell count and hematocrit level decreased while the platelet count increased in both strains, with greater changes occurring in DBA/2FG-pcy mice than in C57 BL/6FG-pcy mice. These findings demonstrate that polycystic kidney disease exhibits strain differences in animals with a DBA/2 and C57BL/6 background. Our results suggest that phenotypic expression of the pcy gene in the mouse depends on genetic background, and that variations in the severity of human polycystic kidney disease may be explained, at least in part, by individual differences in genetic background.     

Intracranial abscessation in white-tailed deer of North America.

From January 1996 through April 1997, the geographic distribution, etiology, demographics, seasonality, and prevalence of an intracranial abscessation/suppurative meningoencephalitits syndrome in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were evaluated by surveying wildlife disease diagnostic laboratories and by examining both natural mortality and hunter-harvested deer skulls from North America. Intracranial abscesses were diagnosed as the cause of death or illness in 97 of nearly 4,500 (2.2%) white-tailed deer examined from 12 states and four Canadian provinces by the diagnostic laboratories. The bacterium Arcanobacterium pyogenes was isolated from 61% of cases; 18 other genera of bacteria also were isolated. The disease was strongly gender-biased (P < 0.01) with 87% of cases occurring in males, and the overall prevalence among males was 4.9%. Cases were most common among antlered males (> or = 1 yr) with few cases among male fawns. Among antlered males, cases were seasonal, primarily occurring from September through April. Four hundred eighteen skulls from deer found dead in the field were examined from southeastern USA, and of the 119 used for further evaluation, 9% had characteristic lesions. Skulls from hunter-harvested males in the southeastern USA had a lesion prevalence of 1.4%. The similarity of disease prevalence among male deer found dead in the field (9.0%) and deer examined as southeastern diagnostic laboratory cases (8.4%) suggests that this disease accounts for slightly < 10% of the natural mortality for yearling and adult male white-tailed deer in the southeastern region. The strong bias for occurrence among males suggests this disease may affect quality deer management strategies.     

虎斑颈槽蛇肾脏两性异型性的结构特点

目的了解虎斑颈槽蛇肾脏两性异型性的结构基础。方法虎斑颈槽蛇(Rhabdophis tigrinus)为性成熟个体,共19条,雄性12条,雌性7条。于2005～2008年的7月份对蛇及其肾脏进行测量和称重,应用光镜和电镜对肾脏进行观察。结果雄性蛇肾脏不仅颜色呈黄色,而且相对长度和重量也均大于雌性;雄性蛇肾脏富含由远曲小管膨大而成的肾性节,而雌性则没有。肾性节细胞呈高柱状,具有典型的分泌性细胞的超微结构特点。结论虎斑颈槽蛇肾脏的两性异型性是由于雄性的肾脏富有特化的肾性节所致。     

Renal metabolism and urinary excretion of platelet-activating factor in the rat

The origin of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the urine remains ill defined. The present study documents that [3H]PAF (3.5 mu Ci) injected into the renal artery of isolated control rat kidney preparations perfused at constant pressure with a cell-free medium containing 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) was excreted in negligible amounts (0.034%) in the urine, whereas 6% was retained by the kidney. When kidneys were perfused with a BSA-free medium, 0.029 and 71% of the total radioactivity added to the perfusate was recovered in the urine and in the renal tissue, respectively. [3H]PAF urine excretion in proteinuric kidneys from adriamycin-treated rats was still negligible (0.015%). Analysis of the renal tissue-retained radioactivity in control and proteinuric kidneys perfused with 1% BSA indicated metabolism into long chain acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine species, lyso-PAF, glycerols, and intact PAF. Thin layer chromatography analysis of [3H]glycerol fraction in these renal extracts showed two major components comigrating with 1-O-alkylglycerol and 1-O-alkyl-2-fatty acylglycerol. Isolated proximal tubules, but not glomeruli from nephrotic rats exposed to increasing concentrations of BSA (0-4%), had a higher PAF uptake than control tubules for BSA concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.1%. Our findings in the isolated perfused kidneys indicate that, in normal conditions, circulating PAF is excreted in the urine in negligible amounts and that the altered glomerular permeability to proteins does not affect this excretion rate. Moreover, analysis of renal tissue radioactivity documented that the renal metabolism of PAF is comparable in control and nephrotic kidneys.     

17 alpha-oxidoreductase activity in kidneys of male and female mice of various ages

Male and female mice at 0-120 days of age were used. Homogenates of kidneys were incubated with [14C]4-androstene-3,17-dione, and 17 alpha-oxidoreductase activity per g tissue was examined. The activities of 17 alpha-oxidoreductase in the kidneys of both sexes increased markedly with age during sexual development by up to 150-fold and reached the maximum values (2700 and 1500 nmol/g/h in male and female kidneys, respectively) at 60 days of age. In the adult male mouse kidney, the activity in isolated cortex fractions was 14 times as high as the activity in isolated medulla fractions; in the medulla fractions renal tubules from the cortex accounted for 3-15% of the total tissue. Furthermore, histochemical examination showed the activity present only in the cortex, at which much higher levels in the tubules than in the glomerulus. Activity at 35-120 days of age was significantly higher in male kidneys than in female kidneys. The difference appears to be induced by testicular androgens during sexual development, since neonatal castration in males resulted in decreases of activity to levels similar to those in female kidneys. However, castration at 60 days of age showed no significant effect on the activity. The present results show that the activity per g tissue of 17 alpha-oxidoreductase in the mouse kidney increases markedly with age, and that the activity is largely confined to the renal tubules of the cortex.