Homohemodialysis: a technique of dialysis for the uremic animal

As an alternative to kidney transplantation in conditions of renal failure, an in situ kidney of a healthy individual may be used. The present study utilizes the kidney of a healthy rabbit as a hemoperfusion unit for another, uremic, animal. The study comprised 17 experimental models, each of which consisted of 2 adult New Zealand rabbits. One animal of each model was rendered uremic by means of bilateral nephrectomy. The blood chemistry (urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, pH and base deficit) was examined pre- and 4-hourly post-operatively. When after 48 hours post-nephrectomy, the blood chemistry had reached a level sufficient to endanger the animal's life, homohemodialysis was performed. The anticoagulated blood was circulated from the uremic animal to the normal one and then back to the uremic animal through the femoral vessels using a tube system. The blood chemistry was determined every 10 minutes and pH and base deficit every 30 minutes. All animals died or were sacrificed within 21 hours after shunting was started, and autopsy was done. Serum sodium was the first to normalize within the first 10 minutes post-shunting, followed by serum potassium and pH in 30 minutes. Blood urea and creatinine reached normal levels in 40 minutes and base deficit in 60 minutes post-shunting. The pathologic examination of specimens from the vital organs of both the normal and uremic animals showed different degrees of cellular damage probably due to hypotension or acute effects of the unbalanced animal homeostasis. The cellular damage was much less in the normal than in the uremic animals. In conclusion, homohemodialysis proved to be effective in normalizing the concentrations of the different substances retained in the blood of uremic animals within only 60 minutes of dialysis.