EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRITIS IN RATS INDUCED BY INJECTION OF ANTI-KIDNEY SERUM : II. CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL STUDIES

The glomerulonephritis induced in rats by nephrotoxin was characterized clinically during its initial phase by severe albuminuria, cylindruria, and anasarca, but not by hematuria. Rapidly fatal nephritis was produced by injecting relatively large amounts of anti-kidney serum at frequent intervals. In such cases the blood urea mounted rapidly; the urea clearance fell; and death occurred within about 2 weeks. A milder nephritis of the chronic type was induced by giving smaller quantities of anti-kidney serum in either single or divided doses. In these instances there was no immediate alteration of the urea clearance. Lipemia and plasma protein deficit appeared with the development of anasarca. The majority of rats which survived the initial stage of this experimental nephritis continued to show marked albuminuria with casts until they died or were sacrificed months later. Some of these animals showed retardation of growth and a progressive fall of the urea clearance. Terminally there developed marked retention of urea, plasma protein deficit, anemia, and hypertension.