Effect of ethacrynic acid and chlorothiazide on intrarenal hemodynamics in normal man

Immediate effects of furosemide on renal hemodynamics in chronic liver disease with ascites

Furosemide occasionally causes azotemia in patients with ascites, independently of induced volume depletion. To define this effect, we measured renal clearances in patients with chronic liver disease and ascites and in nonascitic controls. Furosemide (80 mg i.v.) transiently increased p-aminohippurate clearance in controls (from 693 +/- 67 to 928 +/- 93 ml/min) and in 11 patients with ascites (from 418 +/- 81 to 526 +/- 80 ml/min). In contrast, in 13 patients with ascites, p-aminohippurate clearance fell by 34% (from 545 +/- 51 to 360 +/- 24 ml/min) within 20 min and by 41% within 60 min, and inulin clearance fell by 19% at 20 min and by 30% at 60 min. The renal effects lasted approximately 4 h. The renal response could not be predicted by renin activity, urinary prostaglandin excretion, urinary sodium, or clinical characteristics. In all 14 patients who received oral furosemide, p-aminohippurate clearance fell within 90 min (by 24%) and remained suppressed for at least 4 h. These immediate effects of furosemide on renal perfusion may contribute to azotemia in some patients with ascites.

Acute renal failure

Acute renal failure (ARF) is common among critically ill patients and renal dysfunction is often associated with the multisystem organ failure syndrome. The mortality of ARF remains high but animal data indicate that prevention and early treatment may decrease the morbidity and mortality. This review defines ARF based on urine volume, laboratory parameters, and clinical presentation. The pathophysiology of prerenal, postrenal, and intrinsic ART are differentiated and diagnostic criteria provided. Preventive therapy, supportive care, and proposed treatments are outlined. Studies examining the prevention and treatment of ARF in animal models and trials in humans are evaluated. Mannitol 0.5-1 g/kg, furosemide 0.5-1 mg/kg initially, and dopamine 1-5 micrograms/kg/min are effective in preventing or decreasing the severity of ARF in animal models. In humans these drugs are effective at maintaining urine output in various clinical situations and converting oliguria to nonoliguria in some patients; however, increased survival has not been adequately proven as of yet. Dialysis and experimental therapy are briefly discussed.

Insights into intrarenal sites and mechanisms of action of diuretic agents

Effective diuresis requires both sufficient glomerular filtrate and adequate delivery of the diuretic drug to the lumen of the renal tubule. Diuretics will not "force open" the kidney. Diuretics that work primarily in the proximal tubule include osmotic diuretics (e.g., mannitol), diuretics that interfere with the adenyl cyclase system (e.g., xanthines), and those which inhibit carbonic anhydrase (e.g., acetazolamide). Some thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics have a secondary site of action in the proximal tubule based on either carbonic anhydrase inhibition or other mechanisms, such as inhibition of sodium phosphate reabsorption. The diuretics that work primarily in the medullary diluting segment of the loop of Henle, furosemide and ethacrynic acid, block the active reabsorption of chloride and interfere with the tubular reabsorption of free water. The exact mechanism remains unknown. These diuretics tend to have a "high ceiling," to be potent and rapidly acting, and to have a short duration of effect. They are excellent for the treatment of severe fluid overload or pulmonary edema but are not ideal for the treatment of uncomplicated hypertension. Furosemide is a sulfonamide derivative; ethacrynic acid can be used in patients who are allergic to sulfa drugs. Diuretics that work primarily in the cortical diluting segment include the thiazides and thiazide-like drugs. They inhibit sodium transport by an undetermined mechanism. Most of them seem to reach a dose-response plateau beyond which little additional effect is gained by increasing the dose. Most of them appear to lose efficacy as the glomerular filtration rate decreases, except for metolazone and indapamide. The thiazides are most commonly used to treat hypertension. Diuretics that work primarily in the distal tubule and collecting tubule include the aldosterone inhibitor spironolactone and two drugs that impair tubular reabsorption of sodium by direct action, triamterene and amiloride. These drugs are primarily used for their potassium-sparing effect.

Fluid and electrolyte metabolism in the newborn infant

This chapter has sought to gather together the background information on systems controlling homoeostasis of salt and water and their clinical derangement. The temptation to adopt an all-embracing approach to the management of these problems is strong but such an approach is difficult to achieve and indeed dangerous. The circumstances of each sick infant are unique and plans for treatment must be individually tailored and flexible, dependent upon clinical and biochemical progress. Future developments in this field are likely to involve further understanding of renal and hormonal control of fluid and electrolyte and it might be expected that as new methods of management emerge they will be accompanied by their own peculiar risks of inducing secondary homoeostatic disturbances. With regard to infant feeding each advance appears to underline the desirability of breast feeding and support current moves toward provision of low solute feeds for those who are artificially fed. Paediatricians should be vocal in their advocation of breast feeding and ensure that the major principles of salt and water handling are understood by all who work with small infants. An extra scoop of powdered milk can be more of a poison than a food.

Effect of intrarenal furosemide on renal function and intratenal hemodynamics in acute renal failure

The ability of short-term furosemide administration to alter intrarenal hemodynamics and to modify the clinical course of acute renal failure was assessed in six patients 2 to 9 days after the onset of acute renal failure. Following renal arterial catheterization, the intraarterial administration of furosemide at a dose of 9.6 mg/min for 30 minutes failed to improve renal function as assessed either by an increase in urine output or a decrease in serum creatinine during the 4 days after administration in the five oliguric patients. In a sixth patient with nonoliguric acute renal failure, urine volume increased with a gradual decrease in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine during the week after study. Furosemide failed to alter either mean renal blood flow or its intrarenal distribution as determined at intervals of 3 to 40 minutes after its infusion. These studies demonstrate that the short-term administration of furosemide in large doses does not improve renal hemodynamics or alter the clinical course of patients with established acute oliguric renal failure.

Renal intracortical blood flow distribution, function, and sodium excretion in unanesthetized dogs following vena caval ligation

We studied the renal function and the intrarenal blood flow of nine dogs whose thoracic inferior vena cava had been previously ligated (caval dogs) and nine other dogs. Following preparative surgery which included placement of a left atrial catheter, a femoral artery catheter, and bilateral ureteral catheters, the caval dogs gained an average of 2.1 kg of fluid weight, whereas the normal dogs gained no weight. Although neither the caval dogs' blood pressure (114 plus or minus 7 vs 120 plus or minus 4 mm Hg) nor their inulin clearance (0.64 plus or minus 0.06 vs. 0.79 plus or minus 0.06 ml/min g-1 kidney weight) was significantly reduced, their estimated renal blood flow (Cpah/[1-hematocrit]) was considerably lower (2.30 plus or minus 0.24 vs. 3.25 plus or minus 0.15 ml/min g-1). During the clearance study, the caval dogs' excretion of sodium (79 plus or minus 18 vs. 158 plus or minus 17 muEq/min) and their fractional clearance of sodium (2.0 plus or minus 0.4 vs. 3.4 plus or minus 0.5%) were reduced. Studies with microspheres failed to demonstrate a selective decrease in blood flow. However, comparison studies of nine other dogs (five caval and four normal) demonstrated that microsphere results were less reproducible in caval dogs than they were in normal dogs. We have concluded taht reduced blood flow is the only consistent alteration of renal function in this edematous animal model and that previous suggestions of altered distribution are not supported by these studies.

Effects of ethacrynic acid on the isolated collecting tubule

Effects of the diuretic ethacrynic acid on osmotic water permeability were investigated in the isolated perfused collecting tubule of the rabbit kidney. The base-line water permeability of the collecting tubule was not affected when the drug (10(-4)M) alone was added to the bathing medium. Vasopressin alone in the bathing medium (2, 5 muU/ml) elicited a significant increase in osmotic water absorption. With vasopressin kept in the bathing medium, the addition of 10(-5)M ethacrynic acid depressed the hydro-osmotic effect of vasopressin by 50%. This inhibitory effect of low concentrations of ethacrynic acid could be surmounted by high, supramaximal dosage levels of vasopressin. When 10(-4)M ethacrynic acid was added to the bathing medium before vasopressin, the hydro-osmotic effect of vasopressin and the diuretic in combination was insignificant.Dibutyryl adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate (10(-4)-10(-2)M) alone in the bathing medium significantly increased baseline osmotic water flow, mimicing the effect of antidiuretic hormone. When ethacrynic acid was added together with the nucleotide, the permeability remained at the same high level. Theophylline, like the nucleotide and vasopressin, produced a significant hydro-osmotic effect. The magnitude of this response was not affected by further addition of ethacrynic acid (10(-4)M). It was concluded that ethacrynic acid is an antagonist of antidiuretic hormone. The antagonism probably occurs at the level of the receptor site of the hormone on the peritubular membrane. Antagonism to circulating antidiuretic hormone may therefore be one of the factors involved in the loss of renal concentrating ability brought about by ethacrynic acid diuresis.