title: Effects of acute uninephrectomy and age on renal blood flow autoregulation in the rat.
abstract: We previously showed that renal autoregulatory behavior is modified by both normal and compensatory renal growth. To determine whether the hemodynamic changes precede an increase in renal mass, the relationship of renal blood flow (RBF) to renal perfusion pressure (RPP) was examined in the remaining kidney of anesthetized young and adult rats 30 min following contralateral nephrectomy. In young control animals 32-41 days old, an autoregulation factor (AF) of 0.37 +/- 0.10 (SE) over RPP 70-100 mmHg indicates efficient autoregulation and did not change during the experiment. Acute uninephrectomy in young hydropenic rats resulted in a 16% increase in RBF at normal RPP, and AF increased to 1.22 +/- 0.34 for RPP 70-100 mmHg, reflecting marked impairment of autoregulation. In young animals in which saline infusion was not reduced at the time of uninephrectomy, RBF increased 22% at normal RPP, and autoregulation was similarly impaired (AF 0.92 +/- 0.12 for RPP 70-100 mmHg). Acute uninephrectomy in adult rats resulted in a 13% increase in RBF, with better preservation of AF (0.48 +/- 0.09) over the adult autoregulatory range (RPP 100-130 mmHg). These findings indicate that profound hemodynamic changes take place in the remaining kidney within 30 min of acute uninephrectomy and that they are qualitatively similar to those observed after compensatory hypertrophy has developed.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006706:Homeostasis; D008297:Male; D009392:Nephrectomy; D010477:Perfusion; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012079:Renal Circulation; D013997:Time Factors; D014655:Vascular Resistance