Abstract
Hypoplasia of renal corpuscles was studied in 238 dogs ranging in age from 1 to 24 months: 98 purebred beagles, 115 foxhounds and 25 dogs of 10 other breeds. Twenty-six (26.5%) of the beagles had hypoplastic renal corpuscles, comprising approximately 0.3 to 4% of the total number of renal corpuscles counted in each kidney. All beagles which had hypoplastic renal corpuscles appeared to have normal glomerular function as determined by serum creatinine concentration level, and all other histological structures of the kidney appeared normal. Most of the hypoplastic renal corpuscles in these dogs were observed undergoing atrophy, degeneration, necrosis, and occasional calcification. Since these beagles had no noticeable abnormalities in the kidneys and the other organs that might cause secondary atrophy of renal corpuscles, it could be assumed that the small renal corpuscles were the result of true hypoplasia.
Calcification of hypoplastic renal corpuscles was seen in 25 of the dogs of all other breeds studied. Suppurative pneumonia was the most common disease in 16 of the 25 animals which had the calcification. Nine of the 16 animals had pneumonia and canine distemper concurrently and the remaining 7 animals had pneumonia only with no other detectable diseases.
Since the dog is extensively used for research in animal and human kidney diseases and for testing drugs, the finding of hypoplastic renal corpuscles could be a valuable contribution for pathologists and physiologists dealing with studies on kidney function.