Structural alterations in rat kidney proximal tubules perfused with fresh autologous serum.

Two min of intraluminal perfusion of the rat proximal tubules with autologous serum induced marked ultrastructural alterations including extensive cytoplasmic vesiculation due to swelling of rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and occasional extrusion of nuclei and cytoplasm into the lumen. Within 4 min pronounced vesiculation of mitochondria was observed. These findings are consistent with the notion that serum-induced inhibition of proximal tubular fluid absorption is due to cell lysis, presumably mediated by complement activation.