代償性肥大腎における初期の微細構造とくに近位尿細管細胞について

Abstract

It is noted that unilateral nephrectomy in rats is followed by compensatory hypertrophy in the remaining kidney. In this paper, changes were observed for 24 hours following unilateral nephrectomy using light and electron microscopes. The diameter of the proximal tubules increased beginning 3 hours after operation. However, cellular changes and cell division in these tubuli were not clearly observed. The fine structural alterations in the proximal tubuli were: 1) an increase in the number of cytoplasmic ribosomes, 2) an increase in the number and dilatation of the endoplasmic reticula, 3) an increase in the number of droplets and small vesicles, increase in the number of mitochondria. These observations in hypertrophic cells suggest that the proximal tubular cells absorbed a large volume of glomerular filtrate promptly after the contralateral nephrectomy. It is assumed that the functional and anatomical hypertrophy or enlargement of the remaining kidney is caused by the functional load increase caused by the nephrectomy.