Hydrolytic Enzymes of the Ischemic Kidney

Summary

In rats, severe but partial ligation of the aorta between the renal arteries induces striking changes in the left, ischemic renal cortex: simple atrophy of the outer cortex, and atrophy with hyperplasia and poly-ploidy of the inner cortical tubular cells. In the ischemic renal cortex, there is a significant increase not only of renin activity but also of β-glucuronidase, of cathepsin D and, to a much lesser degree, of acid phosphatase. The results of isopycnic centrifugation indicate that these enhanced hydrolytic enzyme activities are localized in renal cortical tubular cell lysosomes. Since these changes occur even with minimal atrophy of the kidney, they must accompany all cases of hypertension of renal origin.

Supported in part by the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Medical Research Council of Canada (Grant MT-1973), the Quebec Heart Foundation, the Jean-Louis Lévesque Foundation, and the Fonds de I'Université de Montréal (CAFIR).