Effect of verapamil treatment on compensatory renal growth in mice

Calcium has been shown to control the proliferation of various cells in vit ro and in vivo. In this study we have attempted to modify compensatory rena l growth by pharmacological interventions in mice who have undergone uninep hrectomy. The effect of a calcium channel blocker verapamil was investigate d. Unilateral nephrectomy of intact male mice produced the expected increas e in weight of the remaining kidney by 67.5+/-8.1 %. This rise was accompan ied by a proportional increase in RNA. In mice, cell hypertrophy was found to be a major factor in compensatory renal growth. Verapamil given in a i.p . dose of 1.0 or 2.0 mg/day/mouse attenuated the growth of the remaining ki dney so that its weight rose by only 48.2+/-6 % and 28.2+/-4.4 %, respectiv ely. In vivo administration of verapamil decreased the degree of compensato ry renal growth and this growth inhibiting effect was directly proportional to the dose.