Nephron filtration rate in conscious rats recovering from anesthesia

Single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR) of superficial (S) and juxtamedullary (JM) nephrons was measured in conscious rats with a [14C]ferrocyanide infusion technique. Experiments were carried out in nondiuretic (ND), salt-loaded (SL), and hemorrhagic hypotensive (HH) rats. Mean SNGFR values of S and JM nephrons were 48.7 +/- 4.5 SE and 61.7 +/- 4.2 in ND, 73.6 +/- 8.7 and 87.5 +/- 10.8 in SL, and 29.9 +/- 5.9 and 36.4 +/- 7.1 in HH rats. These values are higher than the values reported in anesthetized rats. The S-to-JM SNGFR ratio was not significantly different in the three experimental conditions (ND, 0.788 +/- 0.032; SL, 0.843 +/- 0.018; and HH, 0.824 +/- 0.030), and did not differ from the values reported in anesthetized rats in similar experimental conditions. It is concluded that anesthesia exerts a depressive effect on GFR, but does not modify intrarenal SNGFR distribution. Neither saline loading nor hemorrhagic hypotension induces SNGFR intrarenal redistribution in conscious rats.