Metanephric kidney development in the chicken embryo: Glomerular numbers, characteristics and perfusion

The developing metanephric kidneys and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) work in unison to ensure ion and water homeostasis in the avian embryo within its egg. This study focused on how avian renal structure and glomerular perfusion change in concert during development, as well as on changes in body fluid compartment osmolalities. White leghorn chicken eggs were incubated at 37.5 °C and 55-60% relative humidity and were examined during days (D) 10-18 of development. Alcian blue, a stain that forms solid aggregations in actively perfused glomeruli of the metanephric kidney, was used to identify the proportion of glomeruli actually perfused. Total nephron number increased from 4705 ± 1599 nephrons/kidney on day 12 to 39,825 ± 3051 nephrons/kidney on day 18. Actively perfused nephrons increased ~ 23-fold from 761 ± 481 nephrons/kidney on day 12 (~ 16% of total nephrons) to 17,313 ± 2750 nephrons/kidney on 18 (~ 43% of total nephrons). Glomerular volume increased from days 12 to 14, remaining constant thereafter. Blood and cloacal fluid osmolality ranged from 270 to 280 mOsm/L. Amniotic fluid osmolality changed in a complex fashion during development but was comparable to blood on days 10 and 18. Allantoic fluid had the lowest osmolalities (175-215 mOsm/L) across development. Uric acid increased steadily within the allantoic fluid compartment, from 36 ± 1 mmol/L to 63 ± 4 mmol/L. The avian metanephric kidney thus shows a dramatic increase in both recruitment of nephrons and potential filtering capacity during the last half of incubation, in preparation for the degeneration of the allantoic membranes prior to internal piping and subsequent hatching.