Further studies on the kidney of the hook-lipped African rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis.

Abstract

A healthy, pregnant Diceros bicornis (No. 29455), with histologically normal but relatively large kidneys containing a correspondingly large number of nephrons, died suddenly from an injury. Renal lobation was studied partly from serial transverse cuts across the kidney. The fibromuscular pelvic conduits, which are a craniocaudal bifurcation of the ureter, are associated with prominent longitudinally disposed paraconduital veins which anastomose with the interlobar veins. The arcuate veins open widely into the paraconduital veins. The latter drain into the major tributaries of the renal vein at the renal sinus. The interlobar arteries enter the parenchyma through the interlobar septa. These arteries release internal perforator branches, through the septa, which pass to the corticomedullary border, branch along that border as arcuate arteries, and release cortical branches centrifugally. All these branches give off twigs to the glomeruli. Relative renal mass of mammals is inversely proportional to their adult body mass. This is indicated by a regression line which includes rhinoceroses. D. bicornis No. 29455, accordingly, has exceptionally large kidneys. The mesonephros of the 75 mm fetus of D. bicornis has mature glomeruli and tubules. The metanephros has pelvic conduits, paraconduital veins, but, as yet, no medullary loops.