Renal blood flow and pelvic pressure after 4 weeks of total upper urinary tract obstruction in the pig. The effect of a TxA2 synthetase inhibitor on active preglomerular vasoconstriction.

In 8 female pigs complete unilateral ureteral obstruction was investigated over a 4 weeks period. The pigs were monitored with intrapelvic pressure measurements and by 131-I-hippuran scintigraphy twice a week; one group without and one with TxA2 blocking, UK-38,485 [3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl-methyl)-2-methyl-1H-indol-1-propanoic acid], which is a well-known selective thromboxane synthetase inhibitor. During the course of obstruction there was an ipsilateral linear reduction of split function to background level and a net reduction in total hippuran clearance in both groups. On the obstructed side there was a linear reduction of hippuran clearance from 116 +/- 26 ml/min to 11 +/- 3 ml/min during the first 2 weeks of obstruction. The TxA2 synthetase inhibitor, 5 mg/kg reduced se-TxB2 to almost zero for at least one hour after i.v. administration. One week after obstruction the pelvic pressure was 45 +/- 5 cm H2O) administration of the TxA2 synthetase inhibitor. The pelvic pressure remained elevated throughout the period of observation. The study confirmed earlier work which showed that total ureteral obstruction caused complete cessation of kidney function within a few weeks, but contradicts previous studies because there was no increase in renal blood flow after thromboxane blockade. These differences may be explained by several mechanisms. The continuing increase in pelvic pressure suggested that it was not only a preglomerular vasoconstriction which was responsible for the renal flow reduction, but that there was also a postglomerular vasoconstriction.

Bisphosphonate whole body retention test: relations to bone mineralization rate, renal function and bone mineral content in osteoporosis and metabolic bone disorders.

The bisphosphonate whole body retention test (WBR) has been used to estimate bone mineralization rate (bone turnover). Bisphosphonates given i.v. are taken up by bone or excreted in urine. The aim of the present investigation was to test the efficacy of WBR in estimating bone mineralization rate (m) and to evaluate the influence of renal function (Clcr) and bone mass (forearm bone mineral content; BMC) on WBR. The 24-h retention of 3.7 MBq 99mTc-HMBP (1-hydroxymethylene-1,1-bisphosphonate) (Osteoscan) given i.v. was measured by a medium sensitive whole body counter in thirty-one patients with hyperparathyroidism (n = 14), hyperthyroidism (n = 8) or hypothyroidism (n = 9) (group 1) and in seventy-six females with postmenopausal spinal crush fracture osteoporosis (group 2). In the same individuals m was calculated from a 7-day 47Ca-kinetic study using the expanding calcium pool model. Multiple regression analysis of WBR vs. m and Clcr in group 1 disclosed that WBR correlated positively to m [rp = 0.49, P less than 0.01 (rp = partial correlation coefficient)] and inversely to Clcr (rp = -0.44, P less than 0.02). Inclusion of BMC in the analysis did not reveal any significant partial correlation between WBR and BMC (rp = -0.33, 0.05 less than P less than 0.10). In group 2 WBR correlated inversely to Clcr (rp = -0.48, P less than 0.001) but showed no significant relation to m (rp = 0.10, NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vasospastic angina assessed by hyperventilation-thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy.

The response to prolonged hyperventilation (HVT) was evaluated by electrocardiography (HVT-ECG) and thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy (HVT-Tl-Sc) in 40 patients suspected of vasospastic angina. Both tests showed ischaemic changes in 16 patients and no changes in 20 patients. Two patients had abnormal HVT-ECG and normal HVT-Tl-Sc, and the reverse combination was found in two patients. Prolonged HVT was performed in 14 patients during coronary angiography (CAG). Nine developed transient total or subtotal occlusion in one of the major coronary arteries, all of whom had ischaemic HVT-ECG and eight had abnormal HVT-Tl-Sc. In the five patients without spasm at CAG four had normal HVT-ECG and all five normal HVT-Tl-Sc. Our data suggest that HVT-ECG and HVT-Tl-Sc have essentially the same sensitivity and specificity in detecting vasospastic angina.

The normal pressure-flow relationship of pyeloureter in the pig.

The pressure-flow relationship of the normal pyeloureter was investigated in 10 pigs. From a mean baseline pressure in the pelvis of 7.5 cm H2O, the pressure increased during perfusion. The pressure increase from baseline to 8 ml/min was significant. It was noticeable that a perfusion rate of 8 ml/min resulted in intrapelvic pressures of more than 27 cm H2O in 4 of the 10 pigs. A further increase in perfusion rate gave only a slight, additional increase in pressure with linear relationship between flow rate and pressure. The steep rise in pressure from baseline values of 8 ml/min and the slight additional increase in pressure hereafter was probably caused by a transformation of peristalsis to a continuous flow.