Chronic kidney disease induced by adenine: a suitable model of growth retardation in uremia

Growth retardation is a major manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in pediatric patients. The involvement of the various pathogenic factors is difficult to evaluate in clinical studies. Here, we present an experimental model of adenine-induced CKD for the study of growth failure. Three groups (n = 10) of weaning female rats were studied: normal diet (control), 0.5% adenine diet (AD), and normal diet pair fed with AD (PF). After 21 days, serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, parathyroid hormone (PTH), weight and length gains, femur osseous front advance as an index of longitudinal growth rate, growth plate histomorphometry, chondrocyte proliferative activity, bone structure, aorta calcifications, and kidney histology were analyzed. Results are means +/- SE. AD rats developed renal failure (serum urea nitrogen: 70 +/- 6 mg/dl and creatinine: 0.6 +/- 0.1 mg/dl) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (PTH: 480 +/- 31 pg/ml). Growth retardation of AD rats was demonstrated by lower weight (AD rats: 63.3 +/- 4.8 g, control rats: 112.6 +/- 4.7 g, and PF rats: 60.0 +/- 3.8 g) and length (AD rats: 7.2 +/- 0.2 cm, control rats: 11.1 +/- 0.3 cm, and PF rats: 8.1 +/- 0.3 cm) gains as well as lower osseous front advances (AD rats: 141 +/- 13 mu m/day, control rats: 293 +/- 16 mu m/day, and PF rats: 251 +/- 10 mu m/day). The processes of chondrocyte maturation and proliferation were impaired in AD rats, as shown by lower growth plate terminal chondrocyte height (21.7 +/- 2.3 vs. 26.2 +/- 1.9 and 23.9 +/- 1.3 mu m in control and PF rats) and proliferative activity index (AD rats: 30 +/- 2%, control rats: 38 +/- 2%, and PF rats: 42 +/- 3%). The bone primary spongiosa structure of AD rats was markedly disorganized. In conclusion, adenine-induced CKD in young rats is associated with growth retardation and disturbed endochondral ossification. This animal protocol may be a useful new experimental model to study growth in CKD.