Effects of anemia on morphology of rat renal cortex

Information on morphological and functional effects of anemia in kidney is scarce, although this organ plays a major role in erythropoietin production, which is strongly stimulated in anemia. We undertook a morphological study of kidneys of anemic rats. Anemia was induced by X-irradiation and subsequent injection of a hemolytic drug. The most striking effects of anemia on renal morphology were damages in the proximal tubule and a volume increase of the peritubular space. These effects were evident only in the cortical labyrinth. Morphometry showed that the enlargement of the peritubular space reflected an increase of the volumes of both capillaries and interstitium. The structural changes in the cortical interstitium were associated with increased activity of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the fibroblasts. We suggest that hypoxia accounts for most of the observed alterations. The hypoxic proximal tubule might release the nucleotide AMP, which would be hydrolyzed to adenosine by the ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the interstitium. Adenosine has been reported to trigger the synthesis of erythropoietin and the growth of blood capillaries.