Dietary protein prior to renal ischemia dramatically affects postischemic kidney function.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on high protein (60%), normal protein (20%), low protein (5%), or no protein (0%) diets for two or four weeks prior to 45 minutes of renal ischemia induced by renal pedicle clamping. Most (93%) of the rats on the high protein diet died within three days following renal ischemia. In addition, 69% of the rats on normal protein diets also died, most before the fourth day following ischemic insult. In contrast, 88% of the rats on the low protein diet lived, although some exhibited elevated serum creatinine levels for up to one to two weeks following ischemia. Finally, all of the rats on no protein diets lived, and most (75%) exhibited normal serum creatinine levels by the fourth day following ischemia. Shifting the diets of high protein and normal protein adapted rats to no protein diets immediately following ischemia did not improve postischemic survival. Also, changing the diets of no protein adapted rats to high protein diets immediately following ischemia did not significantly affect postischemic recovery. When rats were maintained on no protein diets for shorter periods of time prior to ischemia, it was found that approximately a week on this diet is necessary to provide maximum protection from postischemic acute renal failure. These findings demonstrate a dramatic effect of dietary protein prior to ischemic induced acute renal failure, and suggests that preoperative dietary protein intake should be an important consideration in those situations which are predisposed to postoperative acute renal failure.