Estudo morfofuncional dos rins de cães da raça Golden Retriever afetados pela distrofia muscular (GRMD)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe myopathy of recessive X-linked character and the most relevant animal study model is the Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD). In addition to the severe changes occurring in the striated musculature, several studies show that other structures, including viscera, may prove to be altered in this pathology. Thus, this study aimed to analyze and compare possible structural and functional alterations of the kidney in GRMD dogs. In this study model, it was possible to observe the presence of convex and concave faces, the renal hilum, and the cranial and caudal poles of the kidneys. The organ was surrounded by a fibrous capsule. In a sagittal section of the organ, the presence of the cortical and medullary regions and the renal pelvis were noticed. On microscopic examination, it was possible to identify the medullary and cortical zones and their structures: the renal corpuscles formed by the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, the proximal and distal convoluted tubules, the collecting ducts, the blood vessels, and the segments of the loops of Henle. The serum creatinine and urea were within normal limits. Thus, according to our results, we may conclude that the affected animals under study showed no structural or functional changes in the kidneys, something which allows us to suggest that, despite the impaired water intake, renal structure remains preserved in GRMD animals.