I. Relationship between renal function and nephron population in chronic glomeronephritis and pyelonephritis. The present study was carried out to clarify the relationship between renal dysfunction and morphological changes of the kidney. The kidneys from the 12 cases of chronic glomerulonephritis, 4 cases of pyelonephritis, and a case of lupus nephritis were examined. The kidneys were bisected along the long axies. Three coronal sections were taken from each of the bisected ones. 5 micron thick slides for microscopic examination were prepared. The number of glomeruli of each slide was counted to estimate the efficient cortical volume. The glomerular changes were graded from 0 to IV according to the grading by Parrish and Ueda. The average number of glomeruli was 658 per 1 section in the normal kidney, so that two nomal kidneys contain 1800, 000 glomeruli. In the cases of chronic glomerulonephritis, glomeruli of grade I and II changes averaged 16.7 per 1 section, namely 23, 000 in two kidneys, glomeruli of grade III 43. 8, and grade IV 148. 8, thus showing a marked decrease in total number. The glomeruli were evenly distributed in every cases. GFR was from 1.4 to 11.5 cc/min, 5.7 cc/min on the average, showing marked decrease in the renal function. Small number of functioning glomeruli, showing I to II glomerular changes, were observed even in the seemingly completly devasteted kidneys. The functioning glomeruli were 1.28% of those of normal kidney, GFR was about 5% of normal, thus the function of glomeruli of grade I and II changes increased. These glomeruli showed compensatory hypertrophy. The glomeruli of grade III changes appeared to function, though a little. The glomeruli of grade IV changes do not function at all. In cases of pyelonephritis, the distribution of the glomeruli was uneven, which is a characteristic of this disease, and the number of glomeruli was markedly decreased as in the cases of chronic glomerulonephritis. In the case of lupus nephritis, the glomeruli were evenly distributed. GFR was 50 cc/min, 340, 000 of glomeruli showing grade I and II changes were counted in both kidneys. The number of these glomeruli was 19% of the normal kidneys. This would suggest that lupus nephritis may represent a form of a latent stage of chronic glomerulisephritis. II. Nephron population in the essential hypertension. The kidneys from 11 cases of essential hypertension were examined. The functioning glomeruli (grade 0 to II changes) averaged 397.7 per 1 section, so that two normal kidneys contain 910, 000 glomeruli. The functioning glomeruli were 63.7, % of those of normal subjects, grade IV changes increased, and glomeruli were evenly distributed. The kidney of essential hypertension have glomeruli that normal function were supported, and showed glomerular hypertrophy. In the essential hypertension, the number of glomeruli was correlated to age, however in some cases of young patients glomeruli were decreased. Blood pressure and grade of sclerotic changes of renal arterioles were no correlated to the number of glomeruli, but correlated to the period of hypertension. The sclerotic changes of arterioles and the damage of renal tubules in hypertension increased more than those of normal subjects.
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