The effects of chronic papillary necrosis on acid excretion

Complete papillary necrosis in rats can be induced within 1 month following a single injection of 2-bromoethylamine hydrobromide (BEA) (50 mg, i.v.). Utilizing a combination of clearance and balance techniques the effects of complete absence of the papilla was examined as regards urinary acidification, whole kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR), single nephron GFR, and morphology. Whole kidney GFR was not different from control, however, the percent filtering juxtamedullary nephrons was markedly diminished (87.2 +/- 2.1 vs. 31.5 +/- 3.6% filtering, control vs. BEA, respectively, P less than 0.001) and significantly reduced in the superficial nephrons (80.6 +/- 3.6 vs. 62.2 +/- 6.1% filtering, control vs. BEA, respectively, P less than 0.05). There was a significant decrease in juxtamedullary single nephron GFR and an increase in the superficial single nephron GFR as assessed by the quantitative Hanssen's technique in the animals with chronic papillary necrosis. Complete papillary necrosis was associated with normal arterial bicarbonate concentration, pH, and plasma electrolyte concentrations. At the same degree of acidemia (induced by NH4Cl administration) minimal urinary pH, ammonium excretion, and titratable acid excretion were not different than seen in age matched controls. The response to Na2SO4 infusion and phosphate infusion was the same in both groups of animals. The urine-blood (U-B)pCO2, and index of urinary acidification, was identical in BEA and control animals. Scanning electron microscopy showed scarring of the juxtamedullary glomeruli one month after BEA. The papilla was sloughed and lying free in the renal pelvis in every experimental animal. These data demonstrate that complete papillary necrosis is not associated with acidosis nor a defect in urinary acidification.