Contralateral renal function after unilateral renal vein ligation

¹ Department of Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The effect of increased pressure in one kidney, produced by ligation of its vein, on contralateral renal function was investigated in eight anesthetized dogs. Kidney function was determined under the same experimental conditions in five dogs, but without renal vein ligation. For the latter group, renal function, on the average, remained reasonably stable. After left renal vein ligation, findings for the right kidney were as follows: a) decreased urine flow, amounting maximally to 9.5–41.4% of control flows; b) slight increase of questionable significance in creatinine clearance; c) inconstant changes in PAH clearance; d) increase in urine osmolality to hypertonic values; e) decrease in solute-free water clearance; f) slight rise of questionable significance in total solute clearance; and g) either no change or inconstant changes in excretion rates Na⁺ and K⁺. The data indicate that the oliguria resulted solely from increased renal tubular reabsorption of water, suggesting liberation of antidiuretic hormone as the possible mechanism. Direct nervous influences on tubular reabsorption of water cannot, however, be presently ruled out.