Objective To investigate the influence of burn injury with artificial seawater immersion on kidney pathological changes in experimental rabbits.Methods The healthy rabbits were randomly divided into control group(n = 4),simple burn injury group(n = 10,immediately studied after burn injury) and seawater immersion group(n=10,the rabbits were immersed in the seawater for 3 hours after burn injury.) Light and electron microscopes were employed to examine the pathological changes of kidney.Immunohistochemistry was also performed.Results By light microscopy,we found the dilation and hyperemia of glomerular capillaries,or swelling of endothelial cells.Glomerular cells increased and capillaries condensed.Hydrolic swelling in the epithelial cells of proximal convoluted tubules,hyaline degeneration and vacuolation were observed.The epithelial cells of some distal convoluted tubules disappeared and protein casts were found in the cavities.By electronmicroscopy,the swelling of endothelial cells,hypertrophy of mesangial cells and enlargement of mitochondria were found.Deformation and confluence of foot processes were also observed.Some mitochondria of the epithelial cells of renal tubules demonstrated vacuolation.Cytoplasm of some cells condensed.Hyperemia was found in the kidney mesenchyme.Conclusion The pathological changes of kidney appear to be associated with burn injury with artificial seawater immersion in experimental rabbits.