Postnatal age-related renal responses to hypoxemia in lambs

The role of normocapnic hypoxemia (arterial PO2 33 +/- 7 torr for 30 minutes) in asphyxial renal failure and its modification by maturation of renal function was studied in 50 chronically catheterized, unanesthetized lambs of 2-38 days postnatal age. Arterial pH and PCO2 did not change significantly in response to hypoxemia in these lambs. Normocapnic hypoxemia was associated with (1) significant percent increases in arterial serum osmolality (1.82 +/- 2.96%, P = 0.0001), arterial blood lactate concentration (1009 +/- 2092%, P = 0.0018), arterial blood hematocrit (6 +/- 12%, P = 0.0016), arterial hemoglobin concentration (4.6 +/- 6.5%, P = 0.0004), arterial plasma vasopressin (2370 +/- 3340%, P = 0.0001), arterial plasma renin activity (153 +/- 230%, P = 0.0001), arterial plasma aldosterone (91.3 +/- 143%, P = 0.0001), and fractional sodium excretion rate (120 +/- 240%, P = 0.007); and (2) significant percent decline in glomerular filtration rate (-22.6 +/- 32.6%, P = 0.0003). Several responses to hypoxemia correlated significantly with postnatal age, including (1) positive correlation of postnatal age with percent change in blood osmolality (r = 0.36, P = 0.010), hematocrit (r = 0.48, P = 0.0005), hemoglobin (r = 0.59, P = 0.0004), and lactate (r = 0.72, P = 0.0001), suggesting greater water movement from the intravascular compartment in response to hypoxemia in more mature lambs; and (2) positive correlation of postnatal age with change in urinary flow rate (r = 0.66, P = 0.0001), urinary sodium excretion rate (r = 0.65, P = 0.0001), and osmolar clearance rate (r = 0.60, P = 0.0002), suggesting a greater effect of hypoxemia on the renal tubules to decrease sodium reabsorption in more mature kidneys. Thus, normocapnic hypoxemia may play a role in asphyxial renal failure, and the immature kidney does not have increased susceptibility to this condition.