Effect of partial nephrectomy on calyceal and pelvic peristalsis in the isolated pig kidney

Abstract

Ureteral peristalsis begins at the border between the major calyces and their minor calyces in the multicalyceal kidneys like those in the pig and human. The urologists often perform partial nephrectomy. But there has been no report on the impairment of calyceal and pelvic peristalsic function after partial nephrectomy. Therefore the objective of this study was to explore experimentally the effect of partial nephrectomy on the calyceal and pelvic peristalsis by electroomyographic tracing from the renal calyces, pelvis and ureter in isolated pig kidneys after successive resection of major calyces. Calyceal and pelvic peristalsis remained normal under the control of calyceal pacemaker as long as at least one of the upper, middle and lower major calyces of isolated pig kidney is intact. The observed facts suggest importance of the calyceal system as a pacemaker for maintaining normal ureteral peristalsis.