Effect of volume depletion on the afferent arterioles in the avian kidney

Nine white leghorn chickens were injected i.m. with furosemide (10 to 60 mg/kg body weight) twice daily for 18 days. The birds were then anesthetized with a combination of equithesin and diazepam and the kidneys perfused via the heart. Kidney tissue was sectioned serially and the granular epithelioid cells were counted in the juxtaglomerular apparatuses of the furosemide treated birds and in 3 normal chickens. Hyperplasia and hypergranulation of the epithelioid cells was found to occur in the juxtaglomerular apparatuses of both mammalian and reptilian type nephrons (with and without Henles loop) in the furosemide treated group. This finding was interpreted as an effect of hypovolaemia on the juxtaglomerular apparatuses. Furosemide caused an immediate stop in weight gain, an increase in the erythrocyte volume fraction and a sudden drop in blood pressure. The blood pressure later rose to subnormal levels. The heart rate was not altered. Plasma sodium and chloride fell significantly one day after furosemide administration and remained low throughout the experiment. Potassium fell during the second part of the experimental period. Captopril was injected after 18 days of furosemide treatment and lowered the blood pressure significantly. This was interpreted as indirect evidence for the presence of renin in the granular epithelioid cells and indicates the importance of the renin angiotensin system in maintaining the blood pressure in hypovolaemic conditions.