The Functional Adaptation of the Diseased Kidney. I. Glomerular Filtration Rate*

The functional adaptation of the diseased kidney. 3. Ammonium excretion.

“…In each animal, the urinary bladder was divided into two permanent hemibladders (5) as a preliminary procedure. The terminology used to designate the three successive stages of study has been presented previously (6); a summary is included below.…”

“…The mechanism of induction of the lesion and the interval between induction and study have been described in a previous publication (6). In the stage II studies the diseased and the contralateral control organs were investigated simultaneously.…”

Mechanism of change in the excretion of sodium per nephron when renal mass is reduced

“…At least three possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain this adjustment. First, it is clear that when the number of functioning nephrons is reduced, filtration through the remaining nephrons is increased (1). Increased excretion of sodium per nephron might therefore result from an augmented filtered load of sodium, part of which escapes reabsorption.…”

Experimental Glomerulonephritis

“…As soon as this normally functioning renal tissue was removed, the nephritic process again progressed as in control nephritic rats. This apparent sparing of diseased nephrons by normal nephrons may find explanation in the studies of Bricker and Hinman on unilateral renal disease which describe a physiological adaptation that takes place between normal and diseased populations of nephrons (16,17,18). It thus becomes apparent that some of the pathological processes seen in the progressive stage of NTN can be partially slowed or ameliorated upon placing the kidney in a more favorable milieu.…”