Renal reserve in pregnancy.

Normal pregnancy is associated with increases in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate, increases that are probably the most dramatic seen under any physiological conditions. Yet, despite these marked elevations in baseline values, most investigators have found that the kidneys of pregnant animals and humans are capable of further vasodilation and hyperfiltration in response to an acute protein load or amino acid infusion, ie, renal reserve is maintained in pregnancy.