The influence of water diuresis on the course of experimental E. coli bacteriuria after unilateral nephrectomy in rats.

In rats of both sexes with experimental E. coli infection of the urinary bladder, we evaluated by quantitative bacteriology urinary and kidney tissue infection during low diuresis, during hydropenia, and during water diuresis. Particular attention was given to the question of whether the hypertrophying kidney following contralateral nephrectomy has the same sensitivity to infection ascending from the bladder as a normal kidney. The results showed that water diuresis results in a long-term significant bacteriuria with penetration of microorganisms into the kidney. However, we did not find that infection of a solitary kidney following contralateral nephrectomy was of any greater degree than infection in the kidneys of rats with both kidneys intact.