Morpho-functional status of the kidney after a disturbance of lymph drainage.

The size of the renal body in convoluted parts of proximal and distal nephrons has been studied in normal dogs and after section and ligation of the efferent lymphatic vessels in 4 series of experiments (167 dogs). Observations have been made 12 h, 3 and 10-160 d after the operation. Histological, histochemical and morphometric methods have been applied; the level of residual nitrogen has been estimated. In early days of the experiment, the disturbance in lymph drainage has been found to result in edema and albuminous saturation of the connective tissue stroma, granular distrophy of epithelium in the convoluted tubules of the kidney. After 40-160 d of the experiment, diffuse sclerosis of the connective tissue stroma of the medullar substance and of pyramids develops. Alterations and disorders in the organ's function on nitrogen discharge are especially pronounced when lymph drainage is disturbed in one kidney, and the other kidney is removed. In such a case, the processes of compensatory hypertrophy are delayed. Morpho-functional alterations are less pronounced after lymph drainage disorders in the compensatory hypertrophic kidney.