Altered renal function in growth-restricted newborn piglets

The effect of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on renal hemodynamics and excretory functions was studied in 76 newborn piglets 12-27 h old. The experiments were performed on anesthetized animals divided into normal-weight piglets and IUGR piglets according to their birth weight. The "normal-weight" category included animals with a birth weight >40th percentile (piglets heavier than 1,220 g); the IUGR category included animals with a birth weight >5th and <10th percentiles (piglets with a birth weight between 733 g and 853 g). Cardiac output and renal blood flow were measured by the colored microsphere technique. Urine was collected from catheters placed in the ureters. This animal model of naturally occurring growth retardation in swine gives asymmetric growth with an increase in the mean ratio of brain weight to liver weight from 1.02 to 1.85 (P<0.01). Thus there was only a small reduction in brain weight (11%). In contrast, the reduction in the weight of liver (50%) and kidney (46%) was proportional to that in body weight (46%). Heart rate, cardiac out put, arterial blood gases, and pH were similar in normal-weight and IUGR piglets, but arterial blood pressure and arterial glucose content were significantly reduced in IUGR piglets (P<0.01). Moreover, IUGR piglets had higher plasma catecholamine levels (P<0.05). Renal blood flow and renal vascular resistance were similar in the normal-weight and in the IUGR groups. However, in IUGR animals, glomerular filtration rate was significantly less than in the controls (P<0.05). Normal-weight and IUGR newborn piglets reabsorbed sodium very efficiently, the fractional sodium excretion was less than 1% in both groups. We conclude that renal blood flow is maintained in relation to kidney and body weight in IUGR newborns, but that important renal excretory functions are compromised due to IUGR.