PLASMA-RENIN ACTIVITY AND URINE BETA-2-MICROGLOBULIN DURING AND AFTER CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS - PULSATILE VS NON-PULSATILE PERFUSION

Fourteen patients with normal preoperative renal function underwent aortocoronary bypass graft using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with pulsatile (P;n=7) or non pulsatile (NP;n=7) perfusion. In the two groups prebypass values of plasma renin activity (PRA) and urine β2-microglobulin (β2-M) were within normal limits. PRA increased significantly during CPB and the first 6 h after CPB only in the non-pulsatile group. In both groups, the urine β2-M level increased significantly during and after CPB; however, there was no significant difference in urine β2-M levels between the two groups. Also, the amount of β2-M excreted in urines per unit of time increased significantly in both groups during and after CPB; there was no significant difference between the two groups. © 1990 The European Society of Cardiology.