Renal morphology in pigs with experimental hyperparathyroidism. Light-microscopic findings and some functional...

Light-microscopic examinations were performed in three groups of pigs; one sham-operated control group, one group subjected to thyroidectomy (TX), and one group injected with parat-hormone (PTH) after thyroidectomy (TK + PTH). The kidneys of the sham-operated animals were normal, whereas slight to moderate dilatation of some tubules was seen in the TX group. The most prominent changes in the TX + PTH group were calcium deposition, tubular dilatation and degeneration, inflammation, and hyperaemia. In addition there were hyaline casts, PAS-positive globules and mitotic figures in the tubules. It is suggested that the calcium deposition caused by the PTH administration plays a major role in the development of degeneration in the tubular epithelium, and that these structural lesions are of importance in the development of reduced renal function.