To determine the role of thromboxane A2 in the pathogenesis of experimentally induced immune complex glomerulonephritis, 12 concanavalin A-immunized Beagles were infused with 1 mg of concanavalin A via each renal artery and treated twice daily for 8 days with either 30 mg of CGS 12970/kg, PO, a specific thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, or placebo. The effect of treatment was assessed by measuring endogenous creatinine clearance and urine protein and eicosanoid excretion, and by evaluating changes in glomerular morphometric characteristics. On postinfusion day 8, urine protein, thromboxane B2, and 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 excretion, glomerular epithelial crescent formation, and glomerular cell proliferation in the CGS 12970-treated dogs were significantly decreased when compared with values in the placebo-treated group. Differences were not observed in endogenous creatinine clearance, urine prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha excretion, or glomerular polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration between groups in this study. These findings suggest thromboxane A2 has a role in the development of immune complex glomerulonephritis and that thromboxane synthetase inhibition may be beneficial in attenuating some of the functional and histologic changes associated with immune complex glomerulonephritis.

In order to investigate the renal pathology of spontaneously occurring renal lesions, basic macroscopic inspection was conducted to 3,850 pigs randomly collected from local slaughter houses, and a total of 355 pigs (9.2 %) were detected with various gross pathological conditions. Renal morphologic patterns for gross lesions were classified histopathologically as 123 (34.5 %) congestion, 81 (22.8 %) acute interstitial nephritis, 52 (14.7 %) chronic interstitial nephritis, 49 (13.8 %) hemorrhage, 39 (11.0 %) renal cyst, 29 (8.2 %) chronic glomerulonephritis, 18 (5.1 %) acute glomeruonephritis, 14 (3.9 %) infarction, 11 (3.1 %) thrombosis, 5 (1.4 %) atrophy, 5 (1.4 %) pyelonephritis and 1 (0.3 %) lymphosarcoma.

A 1-year and 6-month-old, intact male, Shit-tzu dog was referred to the Konkuk University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, due to ascite, melena, severe anemia, and polyuria/polydipsia. Complete blood count showed moderate leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, monocytosis, and microcytic hypochromic nonregenerative anemia. On serum biochemistry profiles, hypoalbuminema and hypoproteinemia were observed, and proteinuria was detected on urinalysis.