Fetal Uninephrectomy Leads to Postnatal Hypertension and Compromised Renal Function

It has been proposed that the number of nephrons an individual has may be inversely related to his or her blood pressure. In this study using female ovine fetuses, nephron number was reduced by performing a fetal uninephrectomy during the period of active nephrogenesis (100 days of gestation, term=150 days). Lambs were born at term and grew at a similar rate. At 5 months of age, ovaries were removed and the carotid artery exteriorized into a fold of skin. Blood pressure and renal function were studied at 6 and 12 months of age. At 6 months of age, uninephrectomized lambs had significantly higher mean arterial blood pressure than sham-operated lambs (89±2 versus 82±2 mm Hg, P