Telemetered renal responses in dogs during detection of explosives

The primary objectove of this work was to develop and test a method of measuring and characterizing renal hemodynamic responses in unrestrained dogs. Recordings of left kidney blood flow and abdominal aortic pressure were obtained from unrestrained dogs through the use of a two-channel implanted telemetry system during episodes of search and detection of simulated explosives. In each of a number of sequences, the dog was first given a start signal, and after locating the hidden device, was rewarded with food. Data were assessed at the start, find, and recovery segments. The dynamic flow and pressure, together with a hydraulic renal model, were used to derive the total preglomerular and postglomerular vascular resistances and the mean level of glomerular hydrostatic pressure. Data from three dogs obtained by telemetry and analyzed through the use of the model have shown that compared to the start of the test, the location of hidden explosives results in a decrease in both the level of mean aortic blood pressure and the preglomerular resistance; whereas, the reward results in an elevation of mean blood pressure and preglomerular resistance. The postglomerular resistance varied less than the preglomerular resistance, and mean flow did not vary significantly. This work has shown that the stimulation of a reward and the successful performance of a task lead to significant renal responses in dogs. It has further shown that telemetry, when employed with improved data analysis techniques, permits renal hemodynamics to be assessed in unrestrained animal subjects.