REDUCTION OF RISK FOLLOWING ENDOTOXIN INJECTION IN UNILATERALLY NEPHRECTOMIZED RATS

In this study the consequences of unilateral nephrectomy on the surviv al rate of rats were examined under severe pathological conditions inc luding injection of a lethal dose of endotoxin (exogenic LPS), cecal p uncture (endogenic LPS), injection of LPS concomitantly with renal isc hemia as well as a simultaneous injection of LPS and glycerol to the l eg muscle in order to induce acute renal failure. Sham operated rats d id not exhibit higher survival rates than the nephrectomized rats. In most cases there was even a decrease in the percent age rate of deaths in the nephrectomized rats. Improvement in the resistance of the neph rectomized rats to pathophysiological stress occurred when stress was induced immediately following nephrectomy as well as when stress was i nduced 30 days following nephrectomy. No significant differences were found in blood pressure, heart rate, hematocrit, rate of respiration a nd body temperature in the nephrectomized rats as compared to rats tha t did not undergo nephrectomy. A possible explanation for our results is that the solitary kidney excretes more LPS into the urine.