Male Wistar rats aged from 110 to 130 days old were used throughout the study.
Rats were treated with a single injection (i.p.) of HgCl2 at a dose of 4 mg/kg body
wt (w/v in 1 mL saline/kg) (HgCl2 group) (Goering et al., 2000; Stacchiotti et al.,
2004; Torres et al., 2011). Control rats received the vehicle alone (1 mL saline/kg)
(Control group). The studies were performed 18 h after the injection. All animals
were allowed free access to a standard laboratory chow and tap water, and housed
in a constant temperature and humidity environment with regular light cycles (12 h)
during the experiment. All experiments were conducted according to NIH Guide for
the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
Different sets of animals were used for: biochemical determinations, histopathological
studies, preparation of homogenates and plasma membranes from kidneys
and livers and renal clearance studies. On the day of the experiment the animals
were anesthetized with sodium thiopental (70 mg/kg body wt, i.p.).