Effect of carotid occlusion and of perfusion pressure on renal function in conscious dogs

We studied the effect of bilateral common carotid occlusion (implanted pneumatic cuffs) on renal blood flow (electromagnetic flowmeter) and renal function (implanted ureteral catheter) in nine chronically instrumented, conscious dogs on a high sodium diet (14 mmol/kg body weight per day). By means of suprarenal aortic constriction (pneumatic cuff) the influence of renal perfusion pressure was investigated. There was no change in renal blood flow or glomerular filtration rate (inulin clearance) with either reflexly increasing (+49.6%) or constant renal perfusion pressure. Carotid occlusion caused an increase of urine output by 80.5% and of sodium excretion by 85.3% due to a fall in fractional sodium reabsorption (-0.9%) when renal perfusion pressure was allowed to rise. Neither an increase of diuresis or sodium excretion nor an antinatriuresis was observed when renal perfusion pressure was kept constant during carotid occlusion. We conclude that, in conscious dogs at rest, the moderate sympathetic activation associated with carotid occlusion is too small to induce renal sympathetic vasoconstriction or antinatriuresis. The "carotid sinus polyuria" is a pressure-diuresis.