Influence of blood rheology on intrarenal blood flow distribution

This study examined the effects of hematocrit and colloid-induced changes in blood rheology on renal blood flow (RBF) distribution. Blood viscosity, measured by coneplate viscometry, was raised 65% in anesthetized dogs either by increasing hematocrit or giving isoncotic dextran 500. Blood volume was kept constant and arterial pressure was unchanged. An increase in hematocrit caused either no change in RBF or a slight increase at each cortical level (zones 1-4). However, dextran hyperviscosity caused decreases in all four zones, the most pronounced in zone 1 (8.03-5.19 ml min(-1) g(-1)) and the least in zone 4 (1.63-1.46 ml min(-1) g(-1)). These data suggest either that increased hematocrit has less effect on "apparent viscosity" of blood within the kidney than does plasma colloid or that increased hematocrit causes renal vasodilatation while colloid hyperviscosity does not cause it. Since GFR remained constant in both types of hyperviscosity, it is possible that GFR is the autoregulated variable and the observed changes in RBF distribution and vascular resistance resulted from the changes in afferent and efferent arteriolar resistance required to preserve GFR.