Renal venous portal contribution to PAH and uric acid clearance in the chicken

The contributions of the renal venous portal and the renal arterial circulations to the renal clearance of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and uric acid were determined in the unanesthetized chicken by the simultaneous use of the urinary clearance technique and the Sperber preparation. The [3H]PAH apparent tubular excretion fraction (ATEF) and the clearance of inulin (CIn) were used as indicators of the renal portal and renal arterial contributions, respectively, in a planar equation for total PAH clearance. This equation accurately reflects the renal clearance of PAH as well as the renal venous portal and renal arterial contributions to the total renal clearance of PAH. The equation suggests that under normal conditions approximately 50% of the renal clearance of PAH or uric acid comes from the renal venous portal circulation, with the remaining 50% coming from the arterial circulation. An inverse hyperbolic relationship between the filtration fraction (CIn/CPAH) and the [3H]PAH ATEF was found, demonstrating that the filtration fraction in the chicken decreases from a value of 18 to approximately 6% as the renal portal plasma flow increases from zero to a maximum value. Our equation for total clearance was also used with results of experiments on inhibition of uric acid excretory transport by L- and D-dopa and by probenecid to locate the probable sites of action of those inhibitors.