Cisplatin-induced tubular injury studied by water-soluble synthetic polymers

Accumulation of a synthetic water-soluble polymer, poly-alpha, beta-[N(2-hydroxyethyl)-D,L-aspartamide-co-N(4-hydroxyphenethyl )- D,L-aspartamide] in the cells of kidney proximal tubules was used as an indicator for the functional localization of Cisplatin (CDDP) induced tubular injury in rats. Tubular accumulation of polymer was examined using 131I and fluorescence labelling for quantitative as well as morphological evaluation. It was found that reabsorption of the polymer, in which mainly the epithelium of proximal convolutions is involved, remains unaffected upon CDDP treatment in the course of one to six days after the drug administration. This finding supports on the functional level the morphological localization of CDDP injury into the straight segment of the proximal tubule.