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Seventeen dogs, kept in excellent clinical condition by means of peritoneal lavage, were studied before and after unilateral and bilateral nephrectomy. Heart rate, cardiac output, arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance were measured by the pulse contour method, validated for cardiac output against the dye injection method in the renoprival state. These same measurements were made at the peak of the pressure response to a battery of pressor stimuli including epinephrine, levarterenol, central vagus stimulation and ganglionic stimulation. Twelve normal dogs were subjected to insulin glucose infusion, reducing serum potassium levels below normal, and given the same cardiovascular reactivity tests. The resting hemodynamics of the nephrectomized animals was quite abnormal though the arterial pressure was normal. After both unilateral and bilateral nephrectomy the total peripheral resistance was significantly reduced and the flow greatly increased. In response to pressor stimuli there was an increase in arterial pressure and resistance and a reduction in flow. These changes were significantly augmented in the renoprival state but not after unilateral nephrectomy. The responses to pressor stimuli were greatly diminished by lowered serum potassium levels in 1 nephrectomized dog and in 12 normal dogs. The effect of the change in potassium levels was diminished by vagotomy and ganglionic blockade.
Krieger et al. (Fri,) studied this question.