Denny M J, Dawson T J
J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1977 Apr;42(4):636-42. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1977.42.4.636.
The structure and function of the kidneys of two species of desert kangaroos, the red kangaroo (Megaleia rufa) and the euro (Macropus robustus), were examined. Both kangaroos had glomerular filtration rates (GFR), renal plasma flows, and urine flow rates, when hydrated and dehydrated, which were lower than those of similarly sized eutherian mammals. The differences observed between the two species of marsupials were both structural and functional. The GFR of the red kangaroo was higher than that of the euro, under hydrated and dehydrated conditions, and this was correlated with the occurrence of larger and more numerous glomeruli, particularly juxtamedullary glomeruli, in the red kangaroo. Although the kidney of the euro had a greater relative medullary thickness than that of the red kangaroo, the latter had better urine-concentrating abilities. As opposed to this the euros reabsorbed significantly more urea from the filtrate when dehydrated (89.0%) than did the red kangaroos (69.2%). This ability of the euro to resorb more urea may be related to their tendency to overgraze their restricted home ranges during drought.
对两种荒漠袋鼠——红袋鼠（大赤袋鼠）和沙大袋鼠的肾脏结构与功能进行了研究。这两种袋鼠在水合状态和脱水状态下的肾小球滤过率（GFR）、肾血浆流量及尿流率均低于体型相似的真兽类哺乳动物。观察到的这两种有袋类动物之间的差异既有结构上的，也有功能上的。在水合和脱水条件下，红袋鼠的肾小球滤过率均高于沙大袋鼠，这与红袋鼠中存在更大且数量更多的肾小球，尤其是近髓肾小球有关。尽管沙大袋鼠的肾脏相对髓质厚度比红袋鼠的大，但其尿液浓缩能力却不如红袋鼠。与此相反，脱水时沙大袋鼠从滤液中重吸收的尿素（89.0%）比红袋鼠（69.2%）显著更多。沙大袋鼠这种重吸收更多尿素的能力可能与其在干旱期间过度啃食其有限栖息地的习性有关。
