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Nephrol Dial Transplant (1993) 8: 1344-1349
© 1993 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association

research-article

Hypothyroidism retards progressive glomerulosclerosis in the rat by a reduction in food intake

P. J. Westenend1,, J. P. Schröder-van der Elst2, D. van der Heide2 and J. J. Weening3

1Departments of Pathology, State University Leiden The Netherlands 2Departments of Endocrinology, State University Leiden The Netherlands 3Department of Pathology, University of Amsterdam The Netherlands

Correspondence and offprint requests to: Correspondence and offprint requests to: P. J. Westenend, MD, Department of Pathology, University Hospital Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Hypothyroidism diminishes proteinuria and prolongs survival in several immune models of progressive renal failure. In the well-characterized non-immune model of 5/6 nephrectomy we studied the effects of thyroidectomy (Tx) on the development of proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis (GS). Hypothyroidism was confirmed by lower values of thyroxine in Tx rats compared to sham Tx rats at 9 weeks (12.6±6.7 nmol/l Tx versus 37.7±10.8 nmol/l sham Tx) and 12 weeks after operation (7.2±4.9 nmol/1 Tx versus 14.4±4.1 nmol/l sham Tx). Tx resulted in a reduction in mean arterial blood pressure and proteinuria and a lower incidence of GS (4.2±3.1% Tx versus 17.1±10.0% sham Tx) 12 weeks after nephrectomy, along with a decrease in food intake (104±13 g/week Tx versus 138±10 g/week sham Tx). In the same experiment a third group of sham Tx rats was pair fed to the Tx rats, resulting in values similar to those of Tx rats for proteinuria and the incidence of GS (6.0±4.9% pair fed sham Tx). Thyroxine levels at 9 and 12 weeks were comparable to those in sham Tx rats fed ad libitum. No association was found between the incidence of GS and glomerular volume. Studies of the inulin clearance in a second set of experiments showed that glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow are lower in hypothyroid rats compared to sham Tx rats.

We conclude that hypothyroidism has a renal protective effect due to a decrease in food intake resulting in alterations in renal haemodynamics.

Keywords: chronic renal failure; food restriction; glomerular volume; glomerulosclerosis; hypothyroidism; remnant kidney


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