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Updated: Mar 10, 2026
5/6th Nephrectomy in Combination with High Salt Diet and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition to Induce Chronic Kidney Disease in the Lewis Rat
Published on: July 3, 2013
Characterization of an experimental model of progressive renal disease in rats
Nilo César do Vale Baracho1, Lucas Miranda Kangussu2, Thiago Ruiz Rodrigues Prestes3
1Full Professor, Departament of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Itajuba-MG, Brasil. Conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data; technical procedures; histopathological examinations; manuscript preparation and writing, final approval.
Purpose::
To characterize an experimental model of progressive renal disease induced by different degrees of nephrectomy in rats.
Methods::
Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups (n=20/group): sham surgery (control group), progressive degrees of nephrectomy leading to mild uremia (group 1), moderate uremia (group 2) and severe uremia (group 3). Ten animals of each group were followed for two or four weeks. At the end, blood and 24-hour urine samples were collected to determine renal function parameters. Urine output and water and food intake were daily monitored.
Results::
In rats of group 1, serum levels of creatinine and urea and microalbuminuria were increased, while reduced creatinine clearance (p<0.05, compared with control group), without changing blood pressure. Animals of group 2 had more accentuated alterations: increases in urinary output, blood pressure, serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and in microalbuminuria, and reduction of creatinine clearance (p<0.05). Group 3 exhibited even more increased serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium, blood pressure and microalbuminuria, and decreased creatinine clearance (p<0.05) in comparison with control group and unilateral nephrectomy.
Conclusion::
Progressive nephrectomy in rats seems to be useful to study the physiopathology of chronic kidney disease and its mechanisms of progression.
