Disturbances in renal microcirculation induced by myoglobin and hemorrhagic hypotension in anesthetized rat

The question was studied of whether myoglobin (Mb), when released into the general circulation during hemorrhagic hypotension (HH), causes disturbances of renal blood flow. In anesthetized rats 250 mg/kg Mb was intravenously infused within 1 h; HH at 50 mmHg with subsequent retransfusion was induced for 30 min. By allowing two dyes to circulate for 1 and 3 min, respectively, and detecting their localization histologically after rapid freezing of the organ, intrarenal distribution of capillary blood flow was studied. In contrast to the results obtained with Mb or HH alone, when Mb was infused during HH, the development of large areas within cortex and medulla lacking any capillary perfusion was observed. In > 70% of the tissue, a distance > 60 microns to the next dye-labeled capillary was found (in controls 0%). At this time total renal flow had decreased from 5.3 to 0.20 ml/min (HH without Mb: 5.1 to 1.1 ml/min). It is concluded that the observed changes in renal blood flow contribute to the known direct nephrotoxic potential of Mb.