Enhancement of recovery in postischemic acute renal failure with captopril

This study tested the ability of the converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, to lessen the severity of acute renal failure following temporary occlusion of the renal artery. In the control group, 11 dogs were anesthetized with halothane, and the left kidney was isolated through a midline incision. The renal artery, vein, and ureter were then clamped for 120 min. Immediately after occlusion, the kidney was flushed with 40 ml of saline at 34 degrees C. When the clamp was released, a contralateral nephrectomy was performed and the animal allowed to recover. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were followed on a daily basis thereafter. Thirteen captopril-treated dogs were treated in the same fashion except that captopril (1.25 ml/kg, i.v.) was given prior to the 120-min period of renal ischemia. Three of 11 (27%) control dogs survived, whereas 10 of 13 (77%) captopril-treated animals survived (P less than 0.05). Serum creatinine (5.4 +/- 2.5 mg/dl) and serum urea nitrogen (96 +/- 33 mg/dl) peaked on day 8 in the captopril-treated group and were consistently lower than in the untreated group. These observations suggest that captopril is useful when temporary interruption of the renal circulation is encountered, such as in renal autotransplantation, cadaveric renal transplantation, and renal revascularization. These data also suggest that inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may lessen the severity of acute renal failure following renal ischemia.