Glomerulosclerosis and hyalinosis in rabbits.

Histological appearances of remnant kidney in female New Zealand white rabbits undergoing left nephrectomy at 6 mths were studied. All 20 rabbits had evidence of previous Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi) infection. Half of the 10 uninephrectomized and 10 control animals completed 3 pregnancies before sacrifice (15 mths). Twelve of 30 kidneys at sacrifice showed focal and segmental hyalinosis and sclerosis (FSHS), a lesion not previously reported in rabbits. Four of 5 kidneys in both uninephrectomized pregnant and uninephrectomized virgin animals showed FSHS compared with 2 of 10 in both control pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits (p = 0.0026). More glomeruli were sclerosed in control pregnant (median 3.5%) than non pregnant animals (median 0.4%) (p < 0.005). Median right kidney weights per kilogram body weight were greater in previously nephrectomized animals (3.9 gm/kg) than controls (2.6 gm/kg), (p < 0.001). Absolute glomerular area was increased in hypertrophied kidneys, however, after correction for kidney weight, glomerular area was smaller in previously uninephrectomized animals than controls (p < 0.0001).