Renal functional decline and glomerulotubular injury are arrested but not restored by release of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO).

Murine unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), a major model of progressive kidney disease, causes loss of proximal tubular mass and formation of atubular glomeruli. Adult C57BL/6 mice underwent a sham operation or reversible UUO under anesthesia. In group 1, kidneys were harvested after 7 days. In group 2, the obstruction was released after 7 days, and a physiological study of both kidneys was performed 30 days later. Renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine protein, and albumin excretion were measured after ligation of either the left or right ureter. Glomerular volume (periodic acid-Schiff), glomerulotubular integrity and proximal tubular mass (Lotus tetragonolobus lectin), and interstitial collagen (Sirius red) were measured by histomorphometry. Obstructed kidney weight was reduced by 15% at 7 days but was not different from sham after a 30-day recovery. Glomerular volume and proximal tubular area of the obstructed kidney were reduced by 55% at 7 days, but normalized after 30 days. Interstitial collagen deposition increased 2.4-fold after 7 days of UUO and normalized after release. However, GFR and RBF were reduced by 40% and urine albumin/protein ratio was increased 2.8-fold 30 days after release of UUO. This was associated with a 50% reduction in glomerulotubular integrity despite a 30-day recovery (P < 0.05 for all data). We conclude that release of 7-day UUO can arrest progression but does not restore normal function of the postobstructed kidney. Although the remaining intact nephrons have hypertrophied, glomerular injury is revealed by albuminuria. These results suggest that glomerulotubular injury should become the primary target of slowing progressive kidney disease.