Effect of vasopressin administration on renal haemodynamic changes in rats treated with ACTH

Abstract

The Sapirstein method combined with the Hamilton dye-dilution procedure was used to study the circulatory conditions of ACTH-pretreated rats after vasopressin administration. It was found that ACTH or cortisone alone increases the renal fraction of the cardiac output and the renal nutritive blood flow. 1 hr after vasopressin injection following a 10-day ACTH-pretreatment, the renal fraction of the cardiac output and the renal blood flow decrease considerably compared with the group treated only with ACTH, while the renal vascular resistance is increased.On the basis of the results it is assumed that the renal vasospasm may play an important role in the development of renal cortical necrosis following ACTH -~ vasopressin administration, but it can not be excluded that other factors too are involved.