[Acute renal failure after the infusion of hemoglobin solutions with or without red cell ghosts in rabbits (author's transl)]

Out of 85 rabbits 2j received a purified 6% hemoglobin solution free of ghosts (1,8 gHb/Kg) and were compared to 14 animals receiving the same dose of a crude hemoglobin solution containing ghosts. 11 rabbits had 5 infusions with a daily dose of 1,2 g Hb/Kg of the stromafree solution. Controls were partly untreated partly infused with saline. Creatinin, urea, electrolytes, and haptoglobin were determined in the serum oxygen consumption was measured separately in cortex and medulla by Warburg technique, and all kidneys examined histologically. In both groups 20% of the animals died spontaneously. Both groups exhibited the typical morphological and functional signs of acute renal failure. There was an increase in creatinin, urea, and potassium in the serum and a gain in kidney weights. In cortex and medulla we found a 20% drop in O2 consumption in both groups. Thus there was no evidence that ghosts play any role in the pathogenesis of renal failure in hemolysis or in the course of Hb-infusions. even after 5 infusions with lower dose renal damage was demonstrable. The drop in haptoglobin levels indicates, that renal ischemia may be induced by a disturbance in hemoglobin breakdown. The pathogenesis of renal damage has to be elucidated before Hb-solutions come into therapeutical use.