Morphometric studies of the proximal tubules of the rat kidney considering the effect of the method of killing]

120 male rats belonging to two different strains (Han: WIST, Han: SPRD) and two different weight groups (group I: lighter body weight, group II heavier body weight) were killed on three different methods (decapitation, Nembutal -overdose greater than 250 mg/kg b.w. i.p. less than, exsanguination in Nembutal -anaesthesia greater than 100 mg/kg b.w. i.p.). Subsequently, changes in tubuli contorti I of the left kidneys were examined morphometrically. The mean total area, luminal area and epithelial area were evaluated as well as the mean diameter of the tubular nuclei. Concerning the areas of the proximal tubules only the luminal areas show differences between the Wistar and the Sprague-Dawley strain. The total, luminal and epithelial area in the rats belonging to the weight group II were significantly larger than in the rats belonging to weight group I. With one exception this could be noticed within both strains and all three modes of killing. In both strains and weight groups the rats were killed by Nembutal -overdose or exsanguination showed significantly smaller total, luminal and epithelial areas than the rats that were decapitated. Possible cause heretofore are discussed. Differences between the tubular areas of the rats that were killed by Nembutal -overdose and those that were killed by exsanguination after Nembutal -anaesthesia could not be established. The measurements of nuclei diameters in the proximal tubules did not lead to clearly different results between both strains, weight groups and the various modes of killing.