Renal Function in the Spectacled Hare-Wallaby, Lagorchestes conspicillatus: Effects of Dehydration and Protein Deficiency

Abstract

Renal function was studied in a marsupial, the spectacled hare-wallaby Lagorchestes conspicillatus, and the effects of acute dehydration and exposure to a low-protein diet assessed. The rate of glomerular filtration (GFR), measured as the inulin clearance, fell significantly with both treatments but tubular function was unaffected. This reduction in GFR accounted entirely for the antidiuresis observed with both dehydration and exposure to low-protein intake and accords with field observations of the hare- wallaby, where urine volumes are characteristically low and have low osmolalities. When data from animals on both high and low-protein diets were considered together, the clearance ratio for urea (C*urea/C*in) was found to be positively correlated with the rate of urine production, and it is evident that mechanisms which invoke antidiuresis in this species will automatically enhance the reabsorption of urea.