Intrarenal hemodynamics in acute myohemoglobinuric renal failure

Renal blood flow (RBF) and its distribution were measured in acute renal failure induced by glycerol injection to water-drinking rats and to rats chronically loaded with NaCl solution. Mean RBF and intracortical blood flow distribution of both water-drinking and saline-loaded rats at 24 h after glycerol injection were not different from those of control rats. Although chronic saline loading blunted the impairment of renal function caused by glycerol as evidenced by serum creatinine values, no differences in renal hemodynamics were noted. This suggests that changes in glomerular arteriolar resistance or glomerular permeability might be of greater importance in the reduction of glomerular filtration rate than are alterations of blood flow.