Proteinuria following nephroangiography. III. Role of osmolality and concentration of contrast medium in renal arteries in dogs.

Nephroangiography in dogs, with renal artery injections of Urografin 76%, resulted in massive albuminuria. Unilateral nephroangiography causes massive albuminuria only from the injected kidney. Significantly less albuminuria was caused by renal artery injections of a corresponding volume of a sodium chloride solution of equal osmolality or intravenous injections of twice that volume of Urografin 76%. Thus, the hypertonicity of the contrast medium is not the main cause of the albuminuria. The degree of albuminuria is related to the concentration of medium in the renal arteries and not to the amount excreted.