Partial nephrectomy and furosemide in toxic and ischemic nonoliguric acute renal failure in rats

Reduction of the renal mass causes similar tubulo-dynamic changes as furosemide, e.g., hyperperfusion of the single nephron. Therefore, the effect of 5/6 nephrectomy (NX) and furosemide (F) either alone or in combination was evaluated in nonoliguric acute renal failure, using two toxic (glycerol and HgCl2) and one ischemic model. In the HgCl2 model, NX and F alone had a protective effect on whole kidney function, e.g., the increase in serum creatinine was smaller as compared to control rats. NX plus F was followed by the lowest mortality and the smallest increase in serum creatinine. A significant increase in mercury excretion was observed following NX plus F. In the ischemic model, NX and F had no protective effect-when combined, they even enhanced renal insufficiency. The outcome of animals treated with glycerol is neither modified by F nor by NX, although both interventions induced a significant increase of glycerol excretion. It seems that the beneficial effect of 5/6 NX and F depends on the type of acute renal failure (ARF) and the models used, and that the elimination of a toxic agent is not the common pathway of protection in the HgCl2-and the glycerol-induced ARF.