title: New experimental model of acute renal failure and sepsis in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A rat model of acute renal failure (ARF) with sepsis (ARF+S) was developed to simulate the clinical syndrome of hypercatabolic illness in patients with ARF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sepsis was created by ligation and needle puncture of the cecum; ARF was created by left renal artery clamping and contralateral nephrectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two studies were performed. In study 1, rats with sham surgery, sepsis, ARF, and ARF+S were examined for 48 hours. During the first 24 hours after surgery, ARF and ARF+S rats displayed increased urea and ammonia nitrogen appearances and abnormal plasma amino acid levels. These abnormalities were exaggerated in ARF+S rats. In study 2, sham, ARF, and ARF+S rats were injected with sodium bicarbonate or normal saline. During the first 24 hours after surgery, the ARF and ARF+S rats showed an increase in urea nitrogen appearance to 210% and 293%, respectively, of sham values, which was greater than the levels that have been previously reported. Sodium bicarbonate treatment did not influence nitrogen output.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rats with ARF+S may be a useful model for studying catabolic patients with ARF. The lack of effect of sodium bicarbonate on nitrogen balance merits additional study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance 90509, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shahmir
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maasarani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thevanayagam
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Vadgama
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kopple
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum; D003250:Constriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000097:blood; D011677:Punctures; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012077:Renal Artery; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000641:Ammonia; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen