An autoradiographic analysis of experimental non-oliguric acute renal failure in the mouse

Non-oliguric acute renal failure is an increasing disease entity although management of this disease is yet to be established. Poisoning with the sublethal doses of HgCl2 provides an experimental model for the study of non-oliguric acute renal failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms of regeneration of renal cortex in HgCl2 treated mice using whole body autoradiograms to evaluate the changes of DNA synthesis in the renal cortex as well as whole body organs in the mice. The whole body autoradiograms showed considerable uptake of thymidine in the renal cortex of the mice after 1.5 h, the highest uptake after 48 h and negligible uptake 8 days after the injection of HgCl2. On the other hand, autoradiograms showed no remarkable changes in the uptake of thymidine in the brain, lungs, heart and liver in HgCl2 treated mice. It was suggested that the initial treatment of non-oliguric acute renal failure within one week may play an important role in its prognosis.