Renal Blood Flow, Circulation Times and Vascular Volume in Normal Man Measured by the Intraarterial Injection —External Counting Technique

ABSTRACT In six normal young men renal blood flow and renal mean circulation times for red cells and plasma were measured by external counting after injection into the renal artery of Xe‐133, Cr‐51 labelled red cells and 1–131 labelled albumin. Simultaneously the clearances of inulin and PAH and the blood pressure in aorta were measured. Inulin clearance was in average 122 ml/min. 1.73 m', PAH clearance 663 ml/min. 1.73 m 2 , renal cortical blood flow 5.4 ml/g. min., mean renal blood flow 4.6 ml/g. min., mean circulation time for erythrocytes 4.7 sec., mean circulation time for plasma 5.5 sec. and mean blood pressure in aorta 89 mm Hg. The renal cortical vascular volume was 46 mli 100g. The data on renal blood flow obtained by the external counting technique correlated well with those obtained from the clearance measurements. The mean circulation times were shorter than those measured by other investigators using indicator dilution techniques. The cortical vascular volume, which includes the blood in the renal veins and arteries, was greater than previously found in animal kidneys.