Detecting physiological systems with laser speckle perfusion imaging of the renal cortex

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (11) ◽  
pp. R929-R939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Scully ◽  
Nicholas Mitrou ◽  
Branko Braam ◽  
William A. Cupples ◽  
Ki H. Chon

Laser speckle perfusion imaging (LSPI) has become an increasingly popular technique for monitoring vascular perfusion over a tissue surface. However, few studies have utilized the full range of spatial and temporal information generated by LSPI to monitor spatial properties of physiologically relevant dynamics. In this study, we extend the use of LSPI to analyze renal perfusion dynamics over a spatial surface of ∼5 × 7 mm of renal cortex. We identify frequencies related to five physiological systems that induce temporal changes in renal vascular perfusion (cardiac flow pulse, respiratory-induced oscillations, baroreflex components, the myogenic response, and tubuloglomerular feedback) across the imaged surface and compare the results with those obtained from renal blood flow measurements. We find that dynamics supplied from global sources (cardiac, respiration, and baroreflex) present with the same frequency at all locations across the imaged surface, but the local renal autoregulation dynamics can be heterogeneous in their distribution across the surface. Moreover, transfer function analysis with forced blood pressure as the input yields the same information with laser speckle imaging or renal blood flow as the output during control, intrarenal infusion of Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester to enhance renal autoregulation, and intrarenal infusion of the rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 to inhibit vasomotion. We conclude that LSPI measurements can be used to analyze local as well as global renal perfusion dynamics and to study the properties of physiological systems across the renal cortex.

1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (3) ◽  
pp. R379-R387 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Kapusta ◽  
N. W. Robie

Studies were performed in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to determine whether circulating plasma dopamine (DA) is involved in renal blood flow (RBF) regulation. During graded reductions in renal perfusion pressure (RPP), total renal venous (RV) DA content significantly increased at RPPs below the autoregulatory range. The RBF response to decrements in RPP was also examined during control, infusion of DA (1.2 micrograms.kg(-1).min(-1)ia), and after DA receptor blockade by SCH 23390 (30 micrograms/kg iv). During DA infusion, autoregulation was still evident over the same RPPs, although at higher flow rates. At pressures below the autoregulatory range, RBF decreased linearly and the autoregulatory curve merged with control at 50 mmHg. After SCH 23390, autoregulation ceased at a higher RPP than during control, and RBF was significantly less than control rates at pressures of 80 mmHg and below. To elucidate reasons for this latter response, reductions in RPP were repeated before and after administration of both prazosin (0.1 mg/kg iv) and SCH 23390. The results indicated that RBF rates were not different from control at any RPP. Further, prazosin alone did not alter renal autoregulation but significantly increased RBF at RPP below the autoregulatory range. Thus these results indicate that dopamine does not participate in RBF control at pressures above the inflection point for the lowest limit of RBF autoregulation but may be released at lower RPP to act as a vasodilator agent to oppose alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated reductions in RBF. Moreover, tonic DA receptor activation may influence the setting of the lower limit of canine RBF autoregulation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (3) ◽  
pp. R578-R583 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Mattson ◽  
S. Lu ◽  
R. J. Roman ◽  
A. W. Cowley

The present study examined the autoregulation of blood flow in different regions of the renal cortex and medulla in volume-expanded or hydropenic anesthetized rats. Blood flow was measured in the whole kidney by electromagnetic flowmetry, in the superficial cortex with implanted fibers and external probes for laser-Doppler flowmetry, and in the deep cortex and inner and outer medulla with implanted fibers for laser-Doppler flowmetry. At renal perfusion pressure > 100 mmHg, renal blood flow, superficial cortical blood flow, and deep cortical blood flow were all very well autoregulated in both volume-expanded and hydropenic rats. Inner and outer medullary blood flow were also well autoregulated in hydropenia, but blood flow in these regions was very poorly autoregulated in volume-expanded animals. As renal perfusion pressure was decreased below 100 mmHg in volume-expanded and hydropenic animals, renal blood flow, superficial and deep cortical blood flow, and inner and outer medullary blood flow all decreased. The results of these experiments demonstrate that blood flow in both the inner and outer portions of the renal medulla of the kidney is poorly autoregulated in volume-expanded rats but well autoregulated in hydropenic animals. In contrast, blood flow in all regions of the renal cortex is well autoregulated in both volume-expanded and hydropenic animals. These results suggest that changes in resistance in the postglomerular circulation of deep nephrons are responsible for the poor autoregulation of medullary blood flow in volume expansion despite well autoregulated cortical blood flow.


1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (1) ◽  
pp. F65-F73 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Woods ◽  
H. L. Mizelle ◽  
J. E. Hall

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that hyperglycemia, comparable with that found in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, increases renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) through a tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism. We infused glucose intrarenally (0.1-0.3 g/min) into anesthetized dogs with normal kidneys (NK), with nonfiltering kidneys (NFK) in which changes in TGF were blocked, and with normal kidneys in which renal perfusion pressure (RAP) was lowered to the limits of renal autoregulation (LPK). Calculated intrarenal plasma glucose levels rose to 250-400 mg/dl. In NK (n = 6) RBF and GFR increased by 18 +/- 3 and 19 +/- 5%, respectively, and renal vascular resistance fell by 17 +/- 2% after 90 min. The renal hemodynamic responses to glucose were abolished in NFK (n = 8); RBF averaged 96 +/- 4% of control after 60 min of hyperglycemia. RBF and GFR did not change during hyperglycemia in LPK (n = 5), averaging 96 +/- 1 and 100 +/- 8% of control, respectively, after 60 min. Autoregulation of RBF and GFR during reductions in RAP was impaired during hyperglycemia in NK; RBF and GFR were effectively autoregulated between RAP of 126 and 70-85 mmHg during the control period, whereas during glucose infusion RBF and GFR fell by 31 +/- 9 and 47 +/- 10%, respectively, when RAP was reduced in steps to 70 mmHg. These data suggest that hyperglycemia impairs renal autoregulation and may increase renal blood flow and GFR through a tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism.


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (5) ◽  
pp. R1543-R1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isam Abu-Amarah ◽  
David O. Ajikobi ◽  
Hélène Bachelard ◽  
William A. Cupples ◽  
Fred C. Salevsky

Previous studies have shown that renal autoregulation dynamically stabilizes renal blood flow (RBF). The role of renal nerves, particularly of a baroreflex component, in dynamic regulation of RBF remains unclear. The relative roles of autoregulation and mesenteric nerves in dynamic regulation of blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (MBF) are similarly unclear. In this study, transfer function analysis was used to identify autoregulatory and baroreflex components in the dynamic regulation of RBF and MBF in Wistar rats and young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) anesthetized with isoflurane or halothane. Wistar rats showed effective dynamic autoregulation of both MBF and RBF, as did SHR. Autoregulation was faster in the kidney (0.22 ± 0.01 Hz) than in the gut (0.13 ± 0.01 Hz). In the mesenteric, but not the renal bed, the admittance phase was significantly negative between 0.25 and 0.7 Hz, and the negative phase was abrogated by mesenteric denervation, indicating the presence of an arterial baroreflex. The baroreflex was faster than autoregulation in either bed. The presence of sympathetic effects unrelated to blood pressure was inferred in both vascular beds and appeared to be stronger in the SHR than in the Wistar rats. It is concluded that a physiologically significant baroreflex operates on the mesenteric, but not the renal circulation and that blood flow in both beds is effectively stabilized by autoregulation.


1975 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Warren ◽  
J. G. G. Ledingham

1. Total renal blood flow and its distribution within the renal cortex of the conscious rabbit were studied with radioactive microspheres of 15 and 25 μm diameter. 2. The reliability of the microsphere technique was influenced by microsphere diameter and number (dose). The optimum microsphere diameter for determination of flow distribution in the rabbit kidney was 15 μm and dose 100–150 000 spheres. 3. Spheres of 15 μm nominal diameter were randomly distributed within the renal cortex of adult rabbits. The larger spheres in batches nominally 15 μm in diameter in young rabbits and 25 μm diameter in adult rabbits were preferentially distributed to the superficial cortex. 4. In adult rabbits 15 μm diameter spheres lodged in glomerular capillaries. Larger spheres occasionally lodged in interlobular arteries causing intrarenal haemorrhage. 5. Microspheres of 15 μm caused a decrease in renal clearance of creatinine and of p-aminohippurate when the total injection dose was about 200 000 spheres. These effects were greater when the injection dose was increased to 500 000 spheres. 6. The reduction in total renal blood flow observed with large doses of spheres largely reflected decreased outer cortical flow, as measured by a second injection of spheres, and confirmed by a decrease in p-aminohippurate extraction. 7. The reproducibility of multiple injection studies was limited by these intrarenal effects of microspheres. 8. Total renal blood flow measured in six rabbits in acute experiments by the microsphere technique was 107 ± 12 (mean±sd) ml/min and by p-aminohippurate clearance was 100 ± 10 ml/min. 9. Total renal blood flow in twelve conscious, chronically instrumented rabbits was 125 ± 11 ml/min, of which 92 ± 6 ml/min was distributed to the superficial cortex and 33 ± 4 ml/min to the deep cortex.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (1) ◽  
pp. R253-R259 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Strick ◽  
M. J. Fiksen-Olsen ◽  
J. C. Lockhart ◽  
R. J. Roman ◽  
J. C. Romero

We studied the responses of total renal blood flow (RBF) and renal medullary blood flow (RMBF) to changes in renal perfusion pressure (RPP) within and below the range of renal autoregulation in the anesthetized dog (n = 7). To measure RMBF, we developed a technique in which the medulla is exposed by excising a section of infarcted cortex and a multiple optical fiber flow probe, connected to a laser-Doppler flowmeter, is placed on the medulla. At the baseline RPP of 120 +/- 1 mmHg, RBF was 2.58 +/- 0.33 ml.min-1.g perfused kidney wt-1, and RMBF was 222 +/- 45 perfusion units. RPP was then decreased in consecutive 20-mmHg steps to 39 +/- 1 mmHg. At 80 +/- 1 mmHg, RBF remained at 89 +/- 4% of the baseline value; however, RMBF had decreased significantly (P < 0.05) to 73 +/- 4% of its baseline value. The efficiency of autoregulation of RBF and of RMBF within the RPP range of 120 to 80 mmHg was determined by calculating an autoregulatory index (AI) for each parameter using the formula AI = (%delta blood flow)/(%delta RPP). An AI of 0 indicates perfect autoregulation, and an index of 1 indicates a system with a fixed resistance. The AI for RBF averaged 0.33 +/- 0.12 over this pressure range and showed a significantly greater (P < 0.05) autoregulatory ability than did the RMBF (0.82 +/- 0.13). Decreasing perfusion pressure < 80 mmHg produced significant decreases in both RBF and RMBF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1975 ◽  
Vol 229 (4) ◽  
pp. 983-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
PA Jose ◽  
LM Slotkoff ◽  
S Montgomery ◽  
PL Calcagno ◽  
G Eisner

The ability of the immature kidney to autoregulate blood flow was investigated. Renal blood flow was measured by electromagnetic flowmeter. In six puppies, selective blockade of the intrarenal effects of angiotensin II (AII) by [1-sarcosine, 8-alanine]angiotensin II (anti-AII) administered into the renal artery did not change renal blood flow. During selective renal AII blockade, intravenous AII raised perfusion pressure from 76 +/- 2 to 100 +/- 6 mmHg. Renal blood flow increased from 1.59 +/- 0.29 to 1.98 +/- 0.59 ml/g kidney per min, but returned to control levels within 40 s in spite of persistent arterial pressure elevation. In another group of seven puppies, renal blood flow remained constant despite reduction of renal perfusion pressure by aortic constriction to 60 mmHg. In two of these seven puppies intrarenal anti-AII did not abolish autoregulation. Autoregulation of renal blood flow occurs in the puppy and is not influenced by inhibition of angiotensin. The renin-angiotensin system does not appear to be involved in the normal regulation of renal blood flow in the puppy.


1977 ◽  
Vol 232 (2) ◽  
pp. F167-F172 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. H. Prosnitz ◽  
E. J. Zambraski ◽  
G. F. DiBona

Bilateral carotid artery occlusion results in an increase in mean arterial pressure, an increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity, and a redistribution of renal blood flow from inner to outer cortex. To elucidate the mechanism of the renal blood flow redistribution, carotid artery occlusion was performed in anesthetized dogs with the left kidney either having renal perfusion pressure maintained constant (aortic constriction) or having alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade (phenoxybenzamine); the right kidney of the same dog served to document the normal response. When renal perfusion pressure was maintained constant, renal blood flow distribution (microspheres) was unchanged by carotid artery occlusion. In the presence of renal alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade, carotid artery occlusion elicited the usual redistribution of renal blood flow from inner to outer cortex. The redistribution of renal blood flow observed after carotid artery occlusion is mediated by the increase in renal perfusion pressure rather than the increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity.


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