Renal Medullary Heat Clearance in the Dog

Renal medullary heat clearance was investigated in anesthetized dogs to evaluate countercurrent exchange of heat. Sudden changes in the temperature of renal arterial blood were induced by infusion of 3 to 7 ml/min of saline at room temperature. The resulting changes in medullary temperature, measured with fine thermocouples, started with increasing delay from cortex towards the papilla. Average rate constant for heat uptake in the inner medulla was 0.61 min -1 . In the outer medulla, rate constants from 0.6 to 5.0 min -1 were observed, with the higher values in the subcortical zone. Inner medullary clearance rose during diuresis, but was practically uninfluenced by lowering perfusion pressure to 35 mm Hg. Calculated heat conduction (diffusion) from cortex into medulla was close to observed clearances, which are thus mainly determined by heat conduction. Clearance due to flow in vasa recta and loops of Henle was small, presumably due to efficient countercurrent heat exchange, whereas urine flow in collecting ducts is not subject to this effect. Formulas for countercurrent exchange not taking into account length diffusion (parallel to the vasa recta) are not valid for medullary heat exchange. The present heat clearance technique cannot be used for estimating medullary blood flow.