Human renal allograft blood flow, oxygen extraction, and prostaglandin release: their bearing on graft function

The intraoperative blood flow, oxygen extraction, and prostaglandin production were studied in 26 transplanted kidneys. Eleven were from related donors and 15 from cadavers. Postoperative dialysis was required by four of the five recipients of a cadaveric kidney having an intraoperative blood flow of less than 200 ml/min/100 gm of tissue. All the cadaveric kidneys with a blood flow greater than this produced urine immediately after revascularization. The blood flow in the cadaveric kidneys was related to the total ischemia time, with a lower rate in kidneys preserved for more than 24 hours. There was no difference in the oxygen extraction values for the kidneys in the related donors, in their associated recipients, and in the cadaveric organ recipients. During postoperative catheterization of the renal vein the oxygen extraction for the kidneys from related donors was practically normalized, while for the cadaveric kidneys it was increased though still subnormal. This difference was also reflected in the renal function at that time. No evidence was found that prostaglandins are involved in the regulation of the blood flow to the graft kidney.