Background: There is a lack of consensus concerning changes in renal function after unilateral ureteral obstruction. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of ureteral obstruction on renal morphology and function and to explore the effectiveness of dynamic renal scintigraphy in evaluating obstructive renal function. Methods: We established a model of right ureteral obstruction using New Zealand white rabbits. We measured the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) before the operation and from days 1 to 82 after obstruction, observed the changes in bilateral kidney sizes and the GFR, and then compared the differences between the left and right kidneys. Results: The difference between left and right kidney sizes was not significant before obstruction (t=−0.430, P=0.674); the right kidneys increased in size after obstruction and were larger than the left kidneys (P≤0.001). Obstructed kidneys demonstrated a morphological process of decelerated expansion and retraction. The difference in GFR between the left and right kidneys was not significant before obstruction (t=1.77, P=0.098); during days 1-21 and 42-82 after obstruction, the GFR of the right kidneys decreased and was lower than that of the left kidneys (P<0.001); on day 28, the GFR difference between the left and right kidneys (t=1.62, P=0.130) and the difference in the right kidney GFR before and after obstruction (t=1.03, P=0.323) were not significant. The GFR of obstructed kidneys rapidly declined initially, experienced a tortuous process of repeated dormancies and multiple self-recoveries, and then gradually declined. Conclusions: The GFR in hydronephrotic kidneys is fluctuating. Thus, evaluating the true function of hydronephrotic kidneys using only baseline GFR is difficult; however, combining baseline GFR with renal morphology to assess obstructive renal function and its recoverability can provide more meaningful results.

Background It is controversial to evaluate the function of hydronephrotic kidneys by renal dynamic imaging (RDI). Our aim was to study the features of renal dynamic imaging (RDI) at different stages after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and to investigate a method that could be reasonably used to evaluate renal function and predict renal functional recoverability. Methods We made UUO models using fifteen adult New Zealand white rabbits and systematically observed the changes in kidney morphology, blood flow, radiotracer distribution and function by RDI. We then compared the differences in terms of imaging features between different periods and analyzed the relationship between blood flow and function in obstructed kidneys. Results 1) Obstructed kidneys gradually became larger than preoperative kidneys and contralateral kidneys (P<0.05) and reached their peak size between days 42 and 56, after which they gradually got smaller in size. 2)The correlation between the blood perfusion of the obstructed kidney and the obstruction duration (r = 0.125, P = 0.045) was very weak. In the initial period of obstruction, the perfusion of the obstructed kidney significantly decreased, followed by a sharp rebound in later days, and then the perfusion declined again. The peak in blood perfusion was on day 7. 3) The uptake rate of the obstructed kidney drastically decreased in the early stage and became lower than that of the contralateral kidney and the

Objective. To investigate the influence of early bladder imaging (EBI) in experimental rabbits on the quantitative calculation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by the Gates method. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the data of dynamic renal scintigraphy (DRS) in experimental rabbits. We calculated renal uptake during minutes 1-2 and 2-3 by correcting bladder radioactivity and computed the split GFR by renal uptake. Then, the EBI and GFR between 1-2 min and 2-3 min were compared, respectively. Results. The EBI proportion (57.3%) at 2-3 min of DRS was higher than that (8.5%) at 1-2 min ( P < 0.05 ). The correlations between the 1-2 min and 2-3 min uptake rates of unobstructed kidneys after correction ( r = 0.952 ‐ 0.979 ) were higher than those before correction ( r = 0.859 ‐ 0.936 ). However, the correlation between the two in obstructed kidneys was not improved ( r before = 0.967 versus r after = 0.968 ). For unobstructed kidneys, the difference in GFR based on 2-3 min uptake between before and after correction was significant ( P < 0.05 ), but not in obstructed kidneys ( P > 0.05 ). For GFR based on 1-2 min uptake, the difference between before and after correction was not significant in obstructed or unobstructed kidneys ( P > 0.05 ). Before correction, the GFR of unobstructed kidneys of 10.5% of the rabbits in the protein load test was lower than that in the baseline status, but not so after correction. Conclusion. The 2-3 min EBI on DRS has a significant influence on the GFR calculated by the Gates method in experimental rabbits. Controlling water intake or calculating the GFR by 1-2 min renal uptake helps to avoid the influence of EBI on GFR.

Background: The accuracy of dynamic renal scintigraphy in evaluating the function of hydronephrotic kidneys is controversial. This study sought to investigate the effects of ureteral obstruction on renal function and the role of the protein load test (PLT) in evaluating hydronephrotic kidneys' function.Methods: A ureteral obstruction model was generated with New Zealand white rabbits. The baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the GFR during the PLT were measured by dynamic renal scintigraphy at weeks 6, 9, and 12 after obstruction and the renal reserve GFRs were calculated. The renal GFR differences between different time points and between the PLT and baseline status were compared.Results: (I) Both the baseline GFRs (t=11.287, P=0.000) and the GFRs during the PLTs (t=16.235, P=0.000) of the hydronephrotic kidneys were significantly lower than those of the contralateral kidneys.(II) The baseline GFRs of the obstructed kidneys were not significantly different 6, 9, and 12 weeks after obstruction (F=0.122, P=0.887), but their net reserve GFRs (F=8.419, P=0.004) and relative reserve GFRs (F=3.770, P=0.049) gradually decreased over time. (III) There was no significant correlation between the net reserve GFRs (r=-0.006, P=0.977) or the relative reserve functions (r=-0.022, P=0.920) of the obstructed kidneys and their baseline GFRs. However, there was a significant negative correlation between the net reserve GFRs (r=-0.590, P=0.002) or the relative reserve functions (r=-0.546, P=0.006) of the obstructed kidneys and the duration of obstruction. (IV) The reserve GFRs of the obstructed kidneys were not proportional to their baseline GFRs.Conclusions: The functional changes in hydronephrotic kidneys are not sensitively reflected by baseline GFRs. GFRs during the PLTs and the reserve GFRs play important roles in the early and accurate evaluation of the function of obstructed kidneys.