RESUMO
Albino rat has been used as an animal model for adenine induced chronic renal failure. Animals were fed a diet containing 0.75% adenine in a dose of 250-350 mg/kg body weight/day for one month. Histologic and histochemical changes of bone marrow, spleen and liver were investigated. Bone marrow smear showed a hypocellularity in the from of a marked decrease of different stages of development of RBCs, leucocytes and megakaryocytes. This was associated with a marked increase in acid phosphatase enzyme activity and a decrease in succinic dehydrogenase enzyme activity. Numerous mast cells were also observed. With the spleen, lymphocytic depletion was observed in the periarteriolar lymphatic sheath, the rest of lymphatic follicle and the red pulp. Macrophage number was apparantely increased in the red pulp. Haemosiderin granules showed a marked increase in the red pulp. Like with the bone marrow, an increase in activity of acid phosphatase enzyme and a decrease in succinic dehydrogenase enzyme activity were noticed in the red pulp. In the liver, hepatocyte vacuolation and increased number of von Kupffer cells were noticed. An increase in acid phosphatase enzyme activity and a decrease in succinic dehydrogenase enzyme activity were observed. There was a patchy depletion of glycogen granules