RENAL ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF HYALURONAN AFTER URETERAL OBSTRUCTION

In a unilateral ureteral obstruction model, a progressive accumulation of hyaluronan (HA) was observed in the renal papilla during the first 11 days of obstruction, after-which the amount of HA decreased until the last day of observation, i.e. day 22. The initial accumulation of HA in the obstructed kidney probably reflects the attempts of the kidn ey to maintain osmotic balance. Consequently, when filtration ceases, HA synthesis decreases and the concentration of HA falls. In the papil la of the contralateral kidney, that had not been exposed to any mecha nical damage, the HA content was found to vary in a similar way to tha t in the obstructed kidney. The explanation for this could be that the mesenchyma: cells within the papilla increase their production of HA in order to meet the requirements of increased function necessary to a lso shoulder the function of the damaged kidney. In short, similar var iations in the HA content of the renal papilla was observed in both he althy and obstructed kidneys in a unilateral ureteral obstruction mode l.