Structural changes in temporarily ischaemized and reperfused dog kidneys

The functional and structural study of the ischaemic renal parenchyma has become a central problem from the aspects of kidney transplantation. Reliable data are needed to establish the tolerance of separate or simultaneous cold and warm ischaemia. The changes appearing after 1- and 2-hour ligation of the renal artery (warm ischaemia) followed by autogeneous reperfusion after 3 to 24 hours were analysed on dog kidneys by means of light and electron microscopy. After 1 hour ligation, the changes seem fully reversible as the structures (mitochondria, basal membranes, brush border) suffer no fundamental lesion in spite of a general oedema. In contrast, 2-hour ischaemia caused serious morphological lesions (breaking up of the mitochondrial cristae, decay of the brush border, cell desquamation, necrosis, extensive oedema) leading to no-reflow phenomenon and irreversibility.