Mechanism of intestinal adaptation in rats with acute renal failure.

Acute renal failure (ARF) was experimentally induced in rats and the specific activity of mucosal Na-K-ATPase activity in segments of the small intestine and colon was measured. Bilateral nephrectomy (BN) resulted in a significant evaluation of the enzyme activity in all segments examined. With an additional procedure of adrenalectomy (BN + Ax), the enzyme activity failed to show any increase in ARF rats produced by BN. However, a supplementation of a maintenance dose of dexamethasone to adrenalectomized ARF rats (BN + Ax + DM 10) resulted in a significant resumption of the activity in all intestinal segments, although its increase was insignificant in the duodenum. Addition of a high dose of DOCA (BN + Ax + DOCA 500) was effective in increasing the enzyme activity only in the colon but not in the small intestine. With a high dose of DM or a maintenance dose of DM plus a high dose of DOCA (BN + Ax + DM 30 or BN + Ax + DM 10 + DOCA 500), there was an increase in the enzyme activity of all intestinal segments. In ARF rats induced by bilateral lower ureteral ligation (BLUL), the enzyme activity did not show any increase at all. Addition of a high dose of DOCA to this animal model (BLUL + DOCA 500) brought about the increase of the enzyme activity in the intestinal segments but for the jejunum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)