Effect of Furosemide on Renal Blood Flow in the Conscious Dog 1

Summary and Conclusions

Furosemide was administered to unanesthetized dogs containing implanted flow transducers and pressure cannulas. The results show that furosemide increased renal blood flow in the conscious animal after an initial decrease, but that the increase in renal flow produced by 1 mg/kg of the drug was less than previously reported values obtained from anesthetized animals. It was observed that initial renal vascular resistance was lower in unanesthetized animals than the values reported for anesthetized animals. Thus, it was concluded that: (1) furosemide does increase renal blood flow in the conscious dog, and (2) the increase in renal flow produced by the drug in conscious animals is less than the increase in renal flow produced by the drug in anesthetized dogs, because initial resistance to renal flow is lower in conscious than in anesthetized animals.