The effect of glutamine, glutathione and glutamine plus glutathione as substrates for the preservation of the isolated perfused rabbit kidney (1063.3)

Abstract

Rabbit kidneys were perfused with a high K+ and Mg++ solution as previously described (J S R 21(3);169,1976), with addition of substrates. Briefly the animals were anesthetized with urethane and sodium pentobarbital and the left kidney perfused at 37ºC with a previously dialyzed solution (4g% albumin) in an artificial heart‐lung machine. Several functional physiological parameters were evaluated such as perfusate and urine flow, GFR, %TNa, %TK, perfusion pressure and vascular resistance. The experiments lasted 2 hours. To measure kidney function creatinine was added to the perfusate and Na,K, and osmolarities were measured every ten minutes. Urinary flow increased 2.5‐fold in the Glutamine group when compared to control. This parameter increased 3 times in the Glutathione group and 2.1‐fold in the Glutamine + Glutathione group when compared to control. The same trend was observed with GFR that was enhanced 2.3 times in the Glutamine group, 4.1 times in the Glutathione group and 3 times in the Glutamine + Glutathione group. The fractional sodium reabsorption increased 5.0% with Glutamine, 13.0% with Glutathione and 17.0% with Glutamine + Glutathione. No changes were observed in the fractional transport of potassium. We conclude that these 2 substrates, isolated or combined, promote a great improvement in kidney function in this ex vivo model. These substrates could be important metabolic support when perfusing kidneys for transplantation.Grant Funding Source: CNPq/Brazil