Effect of renal ischaemia in rats with obstructive jaundice.

The ability of kidneys to withstand renal ischaemia has been tested in jaundiced and non-jaundiced rats. No significant difference could be demonstrated between the two groups of animals except that renal weight increased greatly in the presence of jaundice. Both jaundiced and non-jaundiced animals showed a median lethal dose of renal ischaemia of approximately 120 min when renal function was tested by delayed opposite nephrectomy. It was shown that a recent laparotomy renders the kidney more susceptible to renal ischaemia.