A PREVIOUS paper (Pinckh, 1957) recorded the successive histopathological changes in the rat's kidney after subcutaneous injection of glycerol. It was shown that such injections were quickly foliowed by severe haemoglobinaemia, haemoglobinuria and degeneration and necrosis of the renal tubules (" acute tubular nephrosis "). The latter resembled the condition of the same name occurring in man.The object of the experiments now to be described was to determine whether the glycerol acted directly on the renal tubules and whether the accompanying haemolysis accounted a t least in part for the renal damage. The results obtained appear to answer both these in the negative, and suggest that the agent causing the damage is produced or released by the local action of glycerol on connective or other tissues.
MATERIALS AND METHODSSubcutaneous, intravenous and intraperitoneal injections were made under light ether anzsthesia, B.P. Glycerol, diluted to 50 per cent. or less with 0.85 per cent. saline solution, was used. Small amounts of " Carbochrome " India ink were added so that the exact site of injection could later be checked. Doses used ranged from 8.7 to 4.3 ml./kg. of (anhydrous) glycerol. The presence of hzmoglobinuria was detected as before by absorbent paper placed beneath the wire floors of the cages. Numerous pilot studies were first carried out and the results then confirmed with larger numbers of animals, over 200 rats being used in the experiments.Female albino rats weighing 180-220 g. were used.
RESULTS
Subcutaneous injections of glycerolAlthough these rats were not from the same colony as those used in previous experiments (Finckh, 1957), the subcutaneous injection of doses from 8.7 to 4-3 ml./kg. glycerol in 50 per cent. solution to over 50 rats gave the same range of hzmolysis and renal damage. The rats were not outwardly affected by the injection except for some loss of activity when the larger doses were given. Hzmoglobinuria occurred in all the animals, usually within 2 hr of the initial injection.Though many changes short of necrosis occurred in the renal tubules after the injection, definite histological necrosis (affecting principally the proximal convoluted tubules) was found to be the most precise index of damage. As this necrosis was distinct within 24 hr, the rats J. P.4TR. BACT.-VOL.
(1969) 197N 2
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