Failure to prostaglandin A1 to modify renal diatrizoate uptake in experimental acute renal failure

Acute renal failure (ARF) was induced in rats by intramuscular injection of glycerol. Forty-eight hours later prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) in a dose of 1, 5 or 25 microgram/kg bodyweight or phosphate buffer was infused intravenously over 15 min into these animals and controls. After 14 min, 125I-labeled diatrizoate was injected intravenously in a dose of 15 mg/kg bodyweight. Uptake and distribution of diatrizoate were measured one minute later in whole kidneys or kidney slices to provide indices of glomerular filtration. Diatrizoate concentrations were also measured in liver, plasma and washed red cells. Plasma volume was estimated with 125I-labeled albumin. PGA1 produced a dose-related increase in plasma diatrizoate concentration in ARF which was not accounted for by changes in uptake by the kidney, liver or red cells or by changes in plasma volume. It exceeded the relatively small increase in diatrizoate uptake which occurred in the kidney. Intrarenal distribution of diatrizoate did not change. These observations in the kidney suggest that intravenous PGA1 does not improve glomerular filtration in this model of established ARF.