Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Activity in Uranyl Nitrate Induced Acute Renal Failure in Rats

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) was measured in urine, serum, and tissues from rats with acute renal failure (ARF) induced by a single subcutaneous injection (15 mg/kg BW) of uranyl nitrate (UN). Urine was collected daily until day 5, when rats were sacrificed by decapitation for the obtention of blood serum and tissues. Other groups of rats were sacrificed on days 1 and 2. These rats showed proteinuria and polyuria. The damage to the kidney proximal tubule was shown by (a) histological analysis at light and electron microscopy levels on days 1, 2, and 5, (b) the increase in urinary excretion of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase on days 1–5, and (c) the low molecular weight proteinuria pattern on day 1. In addition, the histological analysis at the ultrastructural level showed normal glomeruli appearance on days 1 and 2, but structural alterations on day 5. These data suggest that the increased urinary excretion of enzymes and proteins is a consequence of the tubular inju...