Standardization of radiorenography in dehydrated and rehydrated primates under laboratory conditions

Radiorenography with 99mTc-labelled diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid ( [99mTc]-DTPA) was performed on chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) and vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus pygerythus) to establish the effects of various states of hydration on the data obtained from the DTPA-renogram. The renogram parameters, which can be related to certain aspects of kidney function, varied significantly with the degree of hydration. It is therefore imperative for clinically directed animal research projects on the urinary system to standardise the experimental procedure for radiorenography. A dehydration of 6 h followed by an hour IU rehydration period using 200 ml of a 0.9% NaCl solution on baboons under thiopentone sodium anaesthetic, was found to be the most suitable procedure for radiorenographic investigations in this primate model.