Frequency domain of renal autoregulation in the conscious dog. Wittmann, Uwe, Benno Nafz, Heimo Ehmke, Hartmut R. Kirchheim, and Pontus B. Persson. I. Physiologisches Institut der Ruprecht-Karls Universit[umlaut]at Heidelberg, Germany, Physiologisches Institut der Charit[acute]e, Humboldt Universit[umlaut]at Berlin, Germany
APStracts 2:0047F, 1995.
The dynamic range in which renal blood flow (RBF) autoregulation occurs was determined in 8 conscious foxhounds chronically instrumented with catheters in the abdominal aorta and a transit time flowprobe implanted over the renal artery. Sinusoidal driving pressures (amplitude of 10 mmHg) were forced upon the renal arterial pressure at different frequencies by a servo-control device and transfer functions were calculated. Only one frequency range was found below which the gain of the transfer function declined and in which the phase angle increased (N = 8). This indicates the presence of a potent mechanism for renal autoregulation in the examined frequency range between 0.0031 Hz and 0.08 Hz which buffers changes in blood flow below 0.02 Hz. After furosemide treatment, one indicator for autoregulation (phase shift of transfer function) was significantly blunted at low frequencies (N = 6). Furosemide, however, did not reduce the phase shift to zero suggesting that some autoregulation still remained in the frequency range between 0.04 Hz and 0.08 Hz. In conclusion, autoregulation of RBF during sinusoidal changes in driving pressure between 0.0031 Hz and 0.02 Hz is mediated by a single mechanism which can be blocked by the acute administration of furosemide. The residual phase shift between AP and RBF in the transfer function observed during sinusoidal changes in driving pressure between 0.04 Hz and 0.08 Hz suggests the presence of a second mechanism for RBF autoregulation.

Received 24 April 1994; accepted in final form 6 March 1995.
APS Manuscript Number F172-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Fluid Electrolyte
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 10 April 1995.