Impaired renal autoregulatory ability in dogs with reduced renal mass

Abstract

In normal dogs, the renal autoregulatory mechanism limits the effect of changes in renal arterial pressure (RAP) on RBF, renal outer cortical blood flow (OCBF), and GFR by adjusting the vascular tone of the preglomerular arterioles. To determine the extent to which autoregulatory ability was impaired in remnant renal tissue in dogs, the effects of variations in RAP on RBF, OCBF, and GFR were studied after sham-operation (Group 1; N = 5), 3/4 nephrectomy (Group 2; N = 5), or 7/8 nephrectomy (Group 3; N = 5). In Group 1, the RBF, OCBF, and GFR were not significantly affected by variations in RAP between 75 and 125 mm Hg, indicating intact renal autoregulatory ability. In contrast, both groups of partially nephrectomized dogs exhibited a loss of renal autoregulatory ability below 100 mm Hg (P < 0.05). As RAP rose above 100 mm Hg, dogs with 7/8 nephrectomy exhibited a greater increase than control dogs in RBF (0.586 ± 0.211 versus -0.080 ± 0.030 percent change in RBF/mm Hg change in RAP; P < 0.05), OCBF (0.408 ± 0.157 versus -0.059 ± 0.054 percent change in RBF/mm Hg change in RAP; P < 0.05), and GFR (0.784 ± 0.230 versus 0.134 ± 0.049 percent change in RBF/mm Hg change in RAP; P < 0.05). The ability of the renal vasculature to maintain renal function stable above 100 mm Hg was intermediate in Group 2 and not significantly different from corresponding values for Group 1. These results indicate that dogs with marked reductions of functional renal mass (≥7/8 nephrectomy) exhibit impaired autoregulatory efficiency during variations in RAP and may thus be susceptible to renal injury during episodes of systemic hypertension.