ADH Effects in Development of Ischemic Acute Renal Failure

Summary After uninephrectomy and contralateral renal artery clamping for 70 min, severe uremia developed in two different species of rats. Twenty-four hours after the operation the serum urea nitrogen (SUN) was 122.8 ± 11.2 mg% (CR) and 167.3 ± 18.15 mg% (W). The serum creatinine was 4 ± 0.3 mg% (CR) and 4.64 ± 0.3 mg% (W). Expansion of volume by 5% of body weight just before the ischemic period did not reduce the severity of the renal failure. The administration of antidiuretic hormone for 70 min without renal artery clamping or an anoxic period of only 40 min are not able to produce uremia. A combination of 40 min renal artery clamping followed by 30 min of intravescular administration of ADH resulted in ARF. SUN was 73.44 ± 11.56 mg% 24 hr after surgery and Scr 2.09 ± 0.27 mg%. Congenital diabetes insipidus rats (Brattleboro) were not protected against ischemic ARF. The SUN was 111 ± 8.95 mg% and serum creatinine was 6.38 ± 0.39 mg% 24 hr after surgery. It is concluded that the absence of ADH does not offer protection against ischemia-induced ARF. However, high ADH levels in combination with a subthreshold renal ischemic period are a contributory factor in the development of this type of experimental ARF. This work was supported in part by NSF Grant PAC 72-02344(GB-35637X) and NIH Grant HD-10792 from NICHD. We would like to thank Mrs. Gloria Valdes and Ms. Stephanie Reed for expert typing of this manuscript.