Spontaneous nephritis in wild rats

Abstract

Among the very many rats examined in San Francisco for plague only very few were found that showed evidences of dropsy and of renal disease. One such rat was carefully examined at our laboratory through the courtesy of the U. S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. This rat showed a very marked general oedema. The kidneys are small, distinctly granular. The measurements are 26 × 14 × 10 mm. The heart is moderately but distinctly enlarged, measuring in the formalin hardened specimen from base to apex—23 mm., the largest transverse diameter is 19 mm. and the largest antero-posterior diameter 14 mm. There are no gross lesions of the aorta. In sections of the kidneys the blood-vessels are found in a normal condition. The glomeruli are also quite normal except a few which show slight fibrous thickening of capsule and slight cystic dilatation. The epithelium in practically all tubules is very markedly and extensively degenerated, showing granular and fatty degeneration. There are many casts. Large bunches of peculiar unidentified, uncolored needle-shaped crystals are also found in the tubules. Large areas in the sections show collapse of tubules with much cellular infiltration and new formation of cellular fibrous tissue between them. The appearances are those of a chronic parenchymatous nephritis. It is possible that these lesions are the result of one or the other poison, such as arsenic or phosphorus, which were used in destroying rats in this city. In this connection it is noteworthy however how rarely such lesions were observed in spite of the very extensive use of such poisons.