Experimental pyelonephritis. V. Functional characteristics of pyelonephritis.

Changes in renal and ureteral function were studied in monkeys with experimental pyelonephritis, and correlated with the findings of 131I Hippuran scintiphotos. During the acute phase, delayed excretion of radionuclide was found to be a combined result of prolonged intrarenal as well as ureteral transit times. During the chronic phase, scintiphoto studies revealed decreased renal uptake of radionuclide suggesting decreased renal blood flow. Subsequent individual renal function studies confirmed the decrease in renal function and provided data that strongly support the "intact nephron hypothesis" in chronic pyelonephritis.