RENAL AND HEPATIC MICROVASCULAR VOLUMES DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLYCEROL-INDUCED RENAL FAILURE

Abstract

Abnormalities of microvascular function have been implicated as a potential pathogenetic mechanism in the development of experimental acute renal failure. To non-invasively examine alterations in renal microvascular volume during the initiation of glycerol-induced acute renal failure (ARF) in rats, we have employed the combination of a non-renally excreted, intravascularly maintained, experimental contrast agent (perfluoroctylbromide) and CT scanning for contrast agent spatial quantitation.

We scanned normal rats and early ARF-affected rats, prior to and following perfluoroctylbromide administration and obtained CT values pre(CT)- and post(CT')- contrast for kidney (k), liver (1), and blood (b), and devised the following ratios as indicators of relative microvascular volume (mv):

mv(k) = CT'(k) – CT(k)/CT'(b) – CT(b)

mv(1) = CT'(1) – CT(1)/CT'(b) – CT(b)

We intend to address the validity of these equations as a measure of microvascular volume and apply them to the relationship between the amount of time following the induction of ARF and alterations from normal in renal and hepatic microvascular volumes. Further correlations between these events and the onset of histologic changes of ARF also will be discussed.

Dr. Hillman is a Hartford Foundation Fellow.

This work supported in part by grants from the Arizona Heart Association and Arizona Kidney Foundation.

We are grateful to Dr. David Long for supplying the perfluoroctylbromide.