Role of ischemia in contrast-induced renal damage: an experimental study

Total and regional cortical blood flow was measured in dogs by the radioactive microsphere technique after renal damage of varying severity had been induced by combining selective injection of diatrizoate, iopamidol, or normal saline with a 10 min occlusion of the renal artery. There was extensive tubular and glomerular damage in the kidneys exposed to diatrizoate, but not in the kidneys exposed to saline. Iopamidol caused intermediate changes. Average cortical blood flow was reduced from baseline levels in all groups 5 min after perfusion was restored. After 1 hr the flow had returned to the baseline level. Analysis of variance did not show a statistically significant difference among the groups. A tendency for redistribution of flow from outer to inner cortical layers was seen, but this was present in all groups. The flow changes detected in this study cannot explain the varying severity of renal damage.