Effect of experimentally induced chronic renal failure upon the behavior of rats

Two groups of rats were submitted to a 2-hour training session under a free operant avoidance of shock contingency 23 weeks after surgery, which provoked a state of chronic renal failure (experimental group) or after a sham operation (control group). Subjects in the control group had superior performances than those from the experimental group when total of shocks received and total numbers of avoidance and escape responses were compared. Results of biochemical blood analyses obtained from samples taken immediately after the avoidance training session indicate that the experimental group showed higher plasma urea concentration, higher levels of creatinine and osmolarity. The data show that the procedure used to provoke chronic renal failure was successful, and results in general confirm and extend findings relative to the effects of acute renal failure on behavior.