Renal tissue oxygenation following induced hypotension in dogs

Renal oxygenation was studied during induced hypotension in mongrel dogs, anaesthetized with 1-1.5% halothane in oxygen. Hypotension was induced with an infusion i.v. of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) 70 +/- 17 micrograms kg-1 min-1 (mean +/- SEM) or trimetaphan (TMP) 36 +/- 16 micrograms kg-1 min-1, or by controlled arterial haemorrhage (45 +/- 6 ml/kg of body weight). Mean arterial pressure (MAP), cortical (Pcto2) and medullary (Pmto2) tissue oxygen tensions, arterial (Pao2), renal venous (Prvo2), and urine (Puo2) oxygen tensions were measured during the 40-min control, hypotension, and recovery periods. MAP was decreased to approximately 60% of the control value. Pcto2 decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) in all three groups while Pmto2 decreased significantly only in the haemorrhage group. Upon restoration of MAP to normal values, renal tissue oxygen tensions recovered in all groups, somewhat more rapidly in the SNP group. There were no significant differences in Pao2, Prvo2, and Puo2 during control, hypotension and recovery periods in the three groups. Tissue oxygen tension values followed the changes in MAP, but were not hypoxic, leading us to believe that both SNP and TMP are hypotensive agents safe for the kidney.