title: The use of the tunica vaginalis sac as a dialyser for the uremic animal model.
abstract: The tunica vaginalis (TV), being part of the peritoneum, can be used for dialysis. The present study explores the possibility of using the TV sac as a dialyser in 21 male adult New Zealand rabbits which had been rendered uremic by ligation of both ureters. 4 animals acted as controls and another 4 as sham controls. Blood chemistry including blood urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium was assessed pre- and 12 hourly post-ureteric ligation. Intratunical dialysis was started 48 hours after ureteric ligation when a high uremic state had been achieved. Blood chemistry was determined 4 hourly post-dialysis. Dialysate was replaced by a fresh one when the blood chemistry was no further improving. After blood chemistry normalization, the animals were sacrificed and autopsied. Blood chemistry improved after TV dialysis in all rabbits and normalized in 13. Eight animals, in spite of showing improvement in blood chemistry, died before normalization. Blood chemistry normalization necessitated dialysate replacement by a fresh one more than once (3 times in 11 rabbits and 4 times in 2). Autopsy showed degenerative changes in kidneys, liver, spleen, lungs and small intestine which were less marked in the animals whose blood chemistry had normalized. In conclusion, intratunical dialysis succeeded in normalizing the blood chemistry of uremic animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Research, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D011817:Rabbits; D012704:Serous Membrane; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D013737:Testis; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D011188:Potassium