Experimental Pyelonephritis

Abstract

Summary

The incidence of spontaneous pyelonephritis and bladder calculi was studied in rats following cystectomy. 1. Rats were subjected to surgical resection of 1/3 or 1/2 of the bladder. Spontaneously developing pyelonephritis was infrequent (2 of 42 rats) in the first 2 weeks following surgery but increased to 40% (16 animals of 40) in the third and fourth weeks. When the cystectomy was more radical (2/3 of the bladder), the incidence of spontaneous infection increased to 60% (12 of 20 rats) during the first two weeks and to 80% (16 of 20) during the third and fourth weeks after surgery. 2. The infecting organisms isolated were staphylococcus, proteus, a coliform organism or streptococcus. 3. The incidence of bladder calculi was higher in instances of more radical cystectomy (2/3 of the bladder), and followed closely the incidence of infection. Urinary calculi were always present when proteus was the infecting agent.