Does retention of a native kidney maintain RAAS function and mitigate fluid and electrolyte imbalances in pig kidney xenotransplantation?
Retaining native kidneys in clinical pig-to-human kidney xenotransplantation may be crucial to maintain RAAS function and prevent hypovolemia due to the lack of detectable pig renin.
The absence of detectable pig renin highlights a potential physiological challenge in xenotransplantation. However, the retention of a native kidney may help maintain RAAS function and mitigate fluid and electrolyte imbalances. In clinical pig-to-human kidney transplantation, both native kidneys are usually retained, thus minimizing the development of hypovolemia.
Terashita et al. (Sun,) studied this question.