The pentobarbital anesthetized dog: an animal model for assessing chemically induced changes in renal function and...

An experimental procedure was devised using the pentobarbital-anesthetized dog that could be used for the comprehensive evaluation of the renal effects of chemicals. After IV or renal arterial administration of 0.9% saline solution (vehicle), 12 renal function determinants were continuously monitored for periods of 2 and 6 hours. At the completion of the 2 or 6 hours of study, the kidneys of a number of dogs (usually between 1 and 7) in each vehicle-treated group were subjected to a modification of the intravascular perfusion-of-fixative technique to evaluate the ultrastructural status of the outer cortical, inner cortical, and outer medullary tissue. The remaining dogs (at least 3) in each vehicle-treated group were given a nonnephrotoxic, but maximally effective, diuretic dose of ethacrynic acid, which enabled an assessment of the functional integrity of the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Renal function and glomerular and tubular ultrastructure remained stable in the pentobarbital-anesthetized dog for up to 6 hours after administration of vehicle. Sustained infusion of inulin (included in the procedure to estimate glomerular filtration rate) throughout the duration of the experiments, and pentobarbital anesthesia of various durations did not alter the morphologic status of the canine nephron. The procedure used for the renal perfusion of fixative circumvented any manipulation of the kidneys before fixation and allowed for the acquisition of normal (unaltered) appearing tissue from all areas of the kidneys. The responses of pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to ethacrynic acid administration were similar when given 2 and 6 hours after the vehicle administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)