PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S E Dicker

Publications and source records attributed to S E Dicker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The control of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in the rat.

1. Normal rat liver slices were incubated for 24 h in culture medium to which had been added freeze-dried plasma, prepared from the blood of rats which had undergone partial hepatectomy (60-70% of liver removed) 10 min, 4 or 24 h previously. No changes in the dry weight of the slices were observed. 2. Similarly, there were no changes in the dry weight or protein content of incubated liver slices when freeze-dried plasma prepared from the blood of rats unilaterally nephrectomized 10 min, 4 or 24 h previously was added to the culture medium. 3. Slices from the remaining liver stump, taken 4 h after partial hepatectomy (60-70% of liver removed) and incubated for 4 h in culture medium, did not release a factor capable of increasing the dry weight of normal liver slices incubated in the same medium. 4. After partial hepatectomy (60-70% of liver removed), there was no increase of guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in the remaining part of the liver. 5. No measurable amount of esterase activity was found in normal liver or in the remaining liver stump after partial hepatectomy (60-70% of liver removed). 6. It is suggested that the stimulatory mechanism for liver regeneration is of a different nature from that involved in compensatory renal hypertrophy.

Animals↗

Role of a renal arginylesteropeptidase in the production of a renotrophic factor in unilaterally nephrectomized rats.

1. Renal cortical slices incubated for 4 hr in culture medium in the presence of either dibutyrylguanosine-3': 5'-cyclic monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic GMP, 10(-6)m) or freeze-dried normal rat plasma (35 mug mg(-1) wet wt. tissue) did not show any change in dry weight or protein content. However, addition of freeze-dried normal plasma together with dibutyryl cyclic GMP led to an increase in both parameters.2. Unilateral nephrectomy produced a marked increase in the level of arginylesteropeptidase in the renal cortex of the remaining kidney. A similar increase was observed in renal cortical slices incubated with dibutyryl cyclic GMP in vitro.3. The renal cortical esteropeptidase was inhibited by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMSF, 2 mm). The inhibitor did not, however, prevent the normal increase of dry weight and protein content of renal cortical slices incubated with plasma from unilaterally nephrectomized rats. Similarly, control normal plasma incubated with cortical slices from a kidney removed 10 min after unilateral nephrectomy became endowed with renotrophic activity (Dicker & Morris, 1980b) but this activation was abolished by PMSF.4. Control plasma treated with a purified arginylesteropeptidase and incubated for 4 hr with renal cortical slices produced a hypertrophy of the slices similar to that evoked by plasma from a unilaterally nephrectomized rat.5. Since following unilateral nephrectomy there is a rapid increase in the level of cyclic GMP in the renal cortical tissue of the remaining kidney (Dicker & Greenbaum, 1977) it is suggested that this increase leads to the induction of a specific arginylesteropeptidase. The possibility that the enzyme then cleaves a renotrophic precursor normally present in the plasma, so converting it to an active form, is discussed.

Aminopeptidases↗

Presence of renotrophic factor in plasma of unilaterally nephrectomized rats.

1. Renal cortical slices cut in two halves were incubated separately in culture medium. One half slice was used as control while the other half was treated experimentally. After incubation, their dry weights and/or their protein content were estimated. 2. Addition to half cortical slices of 30 micrograms mg-1 of freeze-dried plasma from rats killed 24 hr after unilateral nephrectomy resulted in an increase of dry weight or protein content of the order of some 10% after 4-8 hr incubation. 3. The effect of freeze-dried plasma from rats killed 24 hr after unilateral nephrectomy was specific to the renal cortex. When added to half slices from either the renal medulla or the liver there were no changes in their dry weight. 4. Addition of 30 micrograms mg-1 of freeze-dried plasma from rats killed 24 hr after bilateral nephrectomy had no significant effect on the dry weight of half cortical slices incubated for various periods of time, from 4 to 48 hr. 5. The renotrophic activity of plasma from unilaterally nephrectomized rats, killed 24 hr after the operation, appears to be metabolized or destroyed by incubation with cortical slices in 4 hr. 6. Freeze-dried plasma from normal unilaterally nephrectomized rats produced an increase dry weight when incubated for 4 hr with half cortical slices from early (3 days) hypophysectomized rats. When incubated with half cortical slices from late (23 days) hypophysectomized rats, the increase in dry weight was about 2 times as great as that observed with cortical slices from normal animals. 7. The possible reason for the production of renotrophic activity in plasma of unilaterally nephrectomized rats, and for its absence in plasma of anephric animals, is discussed.

Animals↗

Origin of the humoral factor responsible for compensatory renal hypertrophy.

1. Rats were unilaterally nephrectomized and the remaining kidney was removed 10 min after the operation.2. Cortical slices from both kidneys were incubated in culture medium in the presence of freeze-dried plasma from a control animal, for 4 hr. When renal cortical slices from a normal animal were now added to and incubated in the medium in which cortical slices from the remaining kidney (i.e. the kidney removed 10 min after unilateral nephrectomy) had been incubated, they showed an increase of protein content and dry weight. This increase did not occur when slices from normal kidneys were incubated in culture medium in which the first kidney had been incubated.3. The increase of protein content and dry weight of cortical slices from normal kidneys did not occur when incubated in culture medium in which cortical slices from the remaining kidney had been incubated when freeze-dried plasma from normal rats had been substituted by freeze-dried plasma from anephric rats.4. Since normal plasma which does not normally promote protein accretion in normal cortical slices in vitro can do so after it has been incubated with cortical slices from a kidney removed 10 min after unilateral nephrectomy, it is suggested that normal plasma contains a precursor of renal origin which is ;activated' when in the presence of a remaining kidney removed shortly after unilateral nephrectomy.

Animals↗

Regulation of compensatory kidney hypertrophy by its own products.

1. The ligation of blood vessels of one kidney of adult rats resulted in the compensatory hypertrophy of the other kidney. In most animals the rate of hypertrophy was indistinguishable from that observed after unilateral nephrectomy, but in a few cases the onset was retarded when the renal artery alone had been ligated and the collateral circulation increased.2. When the blood vessels of one kidney of adult rats were ligated and the cortex was excised, the rate of compensatory renal hypertrophy was similar to that observed after unilateral nephrectomy.3. In animals operated for simultaneous partial hepatectomy and unilateral nephrectomy, there was no sign of compensatory renal hypertrophy while the liver was undergoing regeneration. Renal hypertrophy started after 7 days, when about 98% of the amount of liver removed had been regenerated.4. Neither aseptic autolysis of one kidney following suppression of its blood supply, nor unilateral nephrectomy affected the rate of liver regeneration after simultaneous partial hepatectomy.5. Total splenectomy did not affect the rate of compensatory renal hypertrophy following unilateral nephrectomy.6. The heterotopic graft of renal cortical, but not of medullary, cells inhibited compensatory renal hypertrophy in adult rats. The removal of the graft after 14 days was followed by the resumption of compensatory hypertrophy.7. The inhibiting action of fractions of renal cortical extracts fractionated on Sephadex G100 resin and DEAE-52 cellulose were assayed on the ;growth' of renal explants reared in vitro. The final material, though only partially purified, proved to have an inhibiting activity between 250 and 500 times greater than that of the initial extract.8. When injected into unilaterally nephrectomized rats, the partially purified extract from the renal cortex had an inhibiting effect on compensatory renal hypertrophy.9. Immunofluorescence technique showed that the partially purified cortical extract affected the proximal convoluted tubes specifically, irrespective of animal species.

Animals↗

Changes in renal cyclic nucleotide content as a possible trigger to the initiation of compensatory renal hypertrophy in rats.

1. Cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and cyclic guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) have been estimated in the kidneys of rats.2. Ten minutes after unilateral nephrectomy there was a threefold increase of cyclic GMP in the remaining kidney, which was accompanied by a moderate fall of cyclic AMP.3. The changes in cyclic nucleotides in the remaining kidney after unilateral nephrectomy were of short duration.4. When an anephric rat was cross-circulated with a normal litter-mate, there was an increase of cyclic GMP concentration in the kidneys of the latter, which reached its maximum 10 min after the establishment of the cross circulation.5. In experiments where one kidney of a litter-mate was transplanted to the neck of another rat, unilateral nephrectomy was not followed by changes of the level of cyclic nucleotides in either the transplanted or the remaining kidney. Bilateral nephrectomy, however, resulted in a marked increase of cyclic GMP in the transplanted kidney.6. The clamping of the blood vessels to one kidney for periods up to 10 min had the same effect as unilateral nephrectomy on the concentration of cyclic GMP in the remaining kidney. When the clamp was removed and the circulation restored, the concentrations of cyclic nucleotides returned to preoperative levels in both kidneys.

Animals↗

Compensatory renal hypertrophy in hypophysectomized rats.

1. After hypophysectomy, both body and kidney weights fall, but at different rates. The rate at which the kidney decreases in weight is faster than that of the whole body.2. Seven days after unilateral nephrectomy, the dry weight of the remaining kidney of hypophysectomized rats, with the exception of rats which had been hypophysectomized for 2 days only, was always heavier than the kidney of control hypophysectomized rats of similar body weight.3. The difference between the dry weight of kidneys of unilaterally nephrectomized hypophysectomized and control hypophysectomized rats increased from 15% in early hypophysectomized (9 days) to about 35% in late hypophysectomized animals (23 days).4. The implantation of renal cortical cells from 2 day hypophysectomized rats into unilaterally nephrectomized control litter-mates inhibited compensatory renal hypertrophy in the latter. When a similar operation was made using kidney cells from animals which had been hypophysectomized for 23 days, there was no significant inhibition of compensatory renal hypertrophy.5. The renal contents of adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and of guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in rats hypophysectomized for 2 days were of the same order as those in normal rats, but were markedly lower in rats hypophysectomized for 23 days.6. In contrast to what had been observed in normal rats, in hypophysectomized (2 or 23 days) rats, unilateral nephrectomy did not affect significantly the levels of cyclic nucleotides in the remaining kidney.7. Cross-circulating anephric normal rats with 2 day hypophysectomized animals resulted in an increase of cyclic GMP content in their kidneys. The cross-circulation between anephric normal rats and 23 days hypophysectomized rats had no effect on the level of renal cyclic GMP of the latter.8. When rats hypophysectomized for either 2 or 23 days and which had been nephrectomized were cross-circulated with normal rats, there were no changes in the content of cyclic GMP in the kidneys of the latter.

Animals↗

Compensatory renal growth after unilateral nephrectomy in the new-born rat.

1. The right kidney in a series of control rats aged between 5 days and 115 days was weighed. The kidney weight/body weight ratio was greater in young than in older rats, but decreased linearly with increasing age.2. After unilateral nephrectomy of rats 5 days old, the remaining kidney underwent compensatory growth. The rate and extent of this growth were greater than in adult rats.3. The concentrations of RNA and DNA in the renal cortex and medulla of rats 5 days old were higher than in adult animals. The concentrations of the two nucleic acids fell with age, and reached adult levels after approximately 6 weeks.4. After unilateral nephrectomy of rats 5 days old, the concentrations of RNA and DNA in the medulla were not significantly different from those in control animals. In the cortex, however, there was a delayed increase in the RNA/DNA ratio, which reached a level some 12% higher than that in control rats. This increase was smaller than that observed in unilaterally nephrectomized adult rats.5. The cortical Q(O2) of the remaining kidney of unilaterally nephrectomized new-born rats was elevated by some 20% within 1 day of unilateral nephrectomy. Cortical Q(O2)'s remained higher than those of control animals for 3-4 weeks.6. Since after unilateral nephrectomy, the increase in renal mass in new-borns was greater than that in adults, whereas the degree of cortical cellular hypertrophy (as estimated by the RNA/DNA ratio) was smaller than in adults, it is likely that in new-born animals a significant contribution to compensatory growth comes from cellular hyperplasia.

Age Factors↗

Compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney after unilateral ureteral ligation.

1. The ligation of one ureter is accompanied by compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney.2. The rate of growth of the contralateral kidney after ligation of the opposite ureter is similar to that observed after unilateral nephrectomy.3. Ligation of one ureter produced ipsilateral hydronephrosis.4. The development of hydronephrosis was accompanied by a marked increase of DNA, suggesting hyperplasia, and of the rate of anaerobic glycolysis, while the rate of oxygen uptake decreased, especially in the cortex.5. During compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney, after ligation of the opposite ureter, there were increases of RNA/DNA ratios and of oxygen uptake, especially marked in the cortex, and in every respect similar to those observed after unilateral nephrectomy.6. Ligation of one ureter resulted in an increase of glomerular filtration rate of the contralateral kidney similar to that observed after unilateral nephrectomy.7. The mechanisms of contralateral renal hypertrophy after ligation of one ureter and after unilateral nephrectomy are discussed. It is suggested that in both cases the prime mover to compensatory hypertrophy is the increase of glomerular filtration rate.

Animals↗

Absence of compensatory renal hypertrophy in baboons.

1. The weights of kidneys of fifteen adolescent and forty-six adult male baboons were estimated. In contrast with what has been described in other mammals, in the majority of baboons (thirty-nine out of fifty-seven) the left kidney was heavier than the right.2. The medulla/cortex ratio was of the order of 1.8. The maximum urinary concentration, after 36 hr of food and water deprivation, averaged 1050 +/- 80 m-osmole/kg H(2)O.3. Unilateral nephrectomy was performed in twelve baboons with body weight ranging from 5 to 14 kg. In six animals, the left kidney was removed and the right kidney in the others.4. In two baboons, the left kidney was transplanted to the left iliac artery and vein, the ureters being left intact. After a few weeks, the right kidney was taken out, and the animals were kept under observation, one for a further 3 months and the other for a further 4 months.5. In none of the animals, whether after simple unilateral nephrectomy or after unilateral nephrectomy following transplant of one kidney, did the renoprival kidney show any significant enlargement.6. After unilateral nephrectomy, the health of the animals remained excellent, all the baboons increasing in body weight. The ability to concentrate urine by the renoprival kidney was not impaired.7. In contrast with what has been described in mice and rats, in unilaterally nephrectomized baboons no significant changes in the concentration of either RNA or DNA in renal cortex and medulla of the contralateral kidney were observed.8. After unilateral nephrectomy in baboons, there was a marked increase of oxygen uptake in slices from the cortex, but not from the medulla. In contrast with what had been observed in rats where the enhanced rate of oxygen uptake returned to pre-operative values, in baboons no decrease was observed, the rate of oxygen uptake remaining high during the whole period of observation.9. In the limit of time of observation (maximum 4 months) there was no evidence that unilateral nephrectomy resulted in compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney.

Animals↗

Effects of exteriorization of the ureters on the water metabolism of the domestic fowl.

1. Six domestic fowls were operated for exteriorization of the ureters.2. Three weeks after the operation their food and water intake was compared with that of six unoperated control fowls of similar weight.3. Water intake was calculated from the amount of water drunk, the metabolic water and the water content of the food eaten; while water loss was estimated from the water content of urine and faeces excreted and from evaporation.4. Fowls with exteriorized ureters drank more than the control birds. The excess of water drunk by these birds approximated the amount of water lost in the urine.

Animals↗