Renal Artery Response to Epinephrine.

Conclusions (1) Pharmacologic doses of intravenous epinephrine in dogs caused a significant decrease in the vascular phase and a slower ascent to peak concentration of the I131 radiorenogram. These changes are essentially the same as noted to occur in humans who suffered with acute apprehension during the test procedure. (2) These same doses of epinephrine caused an intense constriction of the renal arteries proximal to or at the first major bifurcation as visualized with angiography and cineradiography. In one-fourth of the dogs the renal artery constriction was noted to occur within one to one and one-half centimeters of their aortic origin. The renal arteries proximal to the constricted zone were dilated.