Upper urinary tract obstruction is a common cause of renal dysfunction in children and adults. While there is clinical evidence of an increased male incidence and mortality rate with acute renal failure, the effect of gender and testosterone on obstructive renal injury has not previously been evaluated. We hypothesized that testosterone exacerbates proinflammatory TNF-␣ production and proapoptotic and profibrotic signaling during renal obstruction, resulting in increased apoptotic cell death and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. To study this, male, female, castrated male, and testosterone-treated oophorectomized female rats were subjected to sham operation or 3 days of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Renal cortical tissue was then analyzed for TNF-␣ production; proapoptotic caspase-8, -9, and -3 activity; apoptotic cell death; profibrotic transforming growth factor-␤1 production; and ␣-smooth muscle actin expression. In a separate arm, glomerular filtration rate (inulin clearance) was measured in rats pre-and post-UUO. Male and testosterone-treated oophorectomized female rats demonstrated a significant increase in TNF-␣ production, caspase activity, apoptotic cell death, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and renal dysfunction during UUO compared with castrated males and normal female rats subjected to the same time course of obstruction. These results demonstrate that endogenous testosterone production in normal male rats and testosterone exogenously administered to oophorectomized females significantly increases TNF production and proapoptotic and profibrotic signaling during renal obstruction, resulting in increased apoptotic cell death, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and renal dysfunction.

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Summary Laryngeal hemiplegia in the horse is discussed regarding incidence and pathologic findings. A hypothesis for its etiology is presented. The clinical and differential diagnosis of the condition is outlined and a new surgical technique, consisting of replacement of the paralyzed crico‐arytenoideus dorsalis muscle by an elastic prosthesis is described. Résumé L'hémiplégie laryngée du cheval est étudiée en fonction des données pathologiques. Une hypothèse étiologique est avancée. Le diagnostic clinique et le diagnostic différentiel sont indiqués. Une nouvelle technique chirurgicale faisant intervenir le remplacement du muscle crico arytenoidien dorsal paralysé par une prothèse elastique est décrite. Zusammenfassung Die Hemiplegia laryngis des Pferdes wird besprochen hinsichtlich der Häufigkeit ihres Auftretens und der pathologischen Befunde. Eine Hypothese für die Aetiologie wird vorgebracht. Die klinische Diagnose und die Differentialdiagnose des Zustandes werden angegeben. Eine neue chirurgische Technik bestehend aus dem Ersatz des gelähmten Musculus cricoarytaenoideus dorsalis durch eine elastische Prothese wird beschrieben. Sumario La Hemiplégia laríngea en el caballo es discutida en realcíon a su incidencia y resultados patológicos. Se presenta una hipótesis de su etiológia. El diagnóstico clínifo y diferencial de esta condicíon es subrayada y una nueva técnica quirurgica consistente en reemplazar el musculo dorsal del cricoaritenodeo utilizando una protesis elastica.