Comparative microangiographic studies of glycerol- and mercuric chloride-induced acute renal failure in rats

Microcirculatory abnormalities may be important in the genesis and/or maintenance of acute renal failure. This work describes the functional, microangiographic, and histopathologic alterations in two experimental models of acute renal failure. Glycerol and mercuric chloride (HgCl2) administration to dehydrated rats produced acute renal failure characterized by a similar degree of renal dysfunction at 24 hours and almost complete functional recovery at one week. Both toxins were associated with early (1/2-1 hour) microangiographically determined perfusion alterations, but in the rats given glycerol, a return to near normal appearance was noted at 2 to 6 hours. Subsequent studies did show mild to moderate residual changes at one week. In contrast, HgCl2 treatment was associated with progressive microcirculatory abnormalities that correlated in part with residual histopathologic alterations. These studies emphasize the discrepancy between functional, circulatory, and pathologic abnormalities in experimental acute renal failure and may improve our understanding of this complex disorder.