Purpose: To establish a model of chronic kidney disease in White New Zealand rabbits, using an exclusive unilateral technique of renal ischemia and reperfusion.
Methods: Twenty males White New Zealand rabbits were used. All animals were subjected to the following: pre-surgical blood collection (1st collection) for creatinine and urea serum analysis, left renal ischemia and reperfusion surgery technique, another blood sample was collected after 6 weeks post surgery (2nd collection), the last blood sample (3rd collection) blood sample was taken 11 weeks post surgery (pre-euthanasia), euthanasia and withdrawal of right and left kidney for histopathological analysis.
Results: The creatinine levels after surgery was statistically significant higher in the 3rd collection, regarding the 1st and 2nd collection (p<0.05). A significant statistic increase for urea was showed only in the 2nd collection (p<0.05) when compared to the 1st and 3rd collections. Histopathological analysis showed bilateral lesions in the renal tissue, consistent to the process of ischemia and reperfusion.
Conclusion: This exclusive unilateral technique of renal ischemia and reperfusion without nephrectomy in White New Zealand rabbits, showed effectiveness in getting an animal model of chronic kidney disease.