Functional compensatory changes after unilateral nephrectomy in rats. General and intrarenal hemodynamic alterations

Cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance (TPR), renal blood flow (RBF), renal vascular resistance (RVR) and intrarenal blood flow distribution have been measured 48 h after unilateral (right) nephrectomy (UNX) and in sham-operated rats (SO). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) were determined using standard inulin and PAH clearances. Superficial single nephron GFR (SNGFR) was measured by free-flow micropuncture techniques. Extracellular fluid volume (ECV) and plasma volume (PV) were also determined. UNX rats showed increases of 17.4% in remnant kidney GFR and 34.5% in RPF. Filtration fraction was decreased to 0.27 +/- 0.01 (control value 0.31 +/- 0.01; p less than 0.0025). SNGFR was 45% higher in UNX rats and the ratio SNGFR/GFR increased by 28%. Cardiac output also increased (33.6 +/- 1.0 for UNX rats; 28.0 +/- 1.2 ml/min/100 g BW for SO rats; p less than 0.0025) accompanied by a corresponding fall (20%) in TPR. Left kidney RBF increased by 22%, whereas RVR decreased by 21%. Blood flow through individual glomeruli increased in the outer and inner cortex and was unchanged in the midcortex. In conclusion, 48 h after unilateral nephrectomy, rats showed a hyperdynamic circulatory state with increased CO and decreased TPR; this could be involved in the acute adaptive functional and renal changes reported after uninephrectomy.