Increased severity of the acute renal failure induced by HgCl2 on rats with reduced renal mass.

In rats unilaterally nephrectomized 2 days before and sham operated controls, an acute fenal failure (ARF) has been induced by subcutaneous HgCl2 injection. The uninephrectomized animals showed a more severe ARF than the sham operated, 60% of the former and 10% of the controls became anuric 48 hours after ARF induction. The increased diuresis and natriuresis produced by acute saline overload did not improve the severity of the ARF. The marked difference in the evolution of this model of ARF with respect to the glycerol induced ARF, which is ameliorated by reduction of renal mass, emphasizes the different pathogenetic mechanism of these two experimental models.