title: Aggravated Cardiac Remodeling post Aortocaval Fistula in Unilateral Nephrectomized Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortocaval fistula (AV) in rat is a unique model of volume-overload congestive heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. Living donor kidney transplantation is regarded as beneficial to allograft recipients and not particularly detrimental to the donors. Impact of AV on animals with mild renal dysfunction is not fully understood. In this study, we explored the effects of AV in unilateral nephrectomized (UNX) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into Sham (n = 10), UNX (right kidney remove, n = 10), AV (AV established between the levels of renal arteries and iliac bifurcation, n = 18) and UNX+AV (AV at one week after UNX, n = 22), respectively. Renal outcome was measured by glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, fractional excretion of sodium, albuminuria, plasma creatinine, and cystatin C. Focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS) incidence was evaluated by renal histology. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UNX alone induced compensatory left kidney enlargement, increased plasma creatinine and cystatin C levels, and slightly reduced glomerular filtration rate and increased FGS. AV induced significant cardiac enlargement and hypertrophy and reduced cardiac function and increased FGS, these changes were aggravated in UNX+AV rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although UNX only induces minor renal dysfunction, additional chronic volume overload placement during the adaptation phase of the remaining kidney is associated with aggravated cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in UNX rats, suggesting special medical care is required for UNX or congenital monokidney subjects in case of chronic volume overload as in the case of pregnancy and hyperthyroidism to prevent further adverse cardiorenal events in these individuals.
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Wusong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Mingjing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Heart Center at Puai Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Shao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009392:Nephrectomy; D009929:Organ Size; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling