Effect of anticoagulation on renal function and protein excretion in experimental acute ischemic renal failure

Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent right nephrectomy and 40 min left rena l artery occlusion (RAO). After 15 min of reflow: polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG1000) was infused to induce osmotic diuresis and to enable glomerular f iltration rate (GFR) measurements. Urine was collected during a 90 min peri od, and the concentrations of PEG1000, albumin, IgG, IgM and fibrin(ogen)/d egradation products (FIB) were assessed both in plasma and urine by radial immune diffusion technique. Groups of rats were subjected to saline + RAG, warfarin + RAO or sham-operation. GFR as measured by PEG1000 clearance aver aged 0.61, 0.036 and 0.094 mL/min/100g BW/kidney in sham-operated, saline RAO and warfarin + RAO rats, respectively. Urinary excretion of albumin an d IgG increased substantially in both ischemic groups. IgM was not defected in any of the urine samples. FIB excretion was lowest in the saline + RAO group, possibly due to retention of FIB-containing obstructions in the tubu les. Rats subjected to warfarin + RAO had significantly higher excretion of FIB. This result suggests that warfarin does not prevent the glomerular si eving of macromolecules in the glomerular filter, but reduces tubular obstr uction by preventing fibrin formation, which may explain its positive effec t on GFR.