Physiology Lab Demonstration: Glomerular Filtration Rate in a Rat

Summary

The purpose of this protocol is to demonstrate the principles and techniques for measuring and calculating glomerular filtration rate, urine flow rate, and excretion of sodium and potassium in a rat. This demonstration can be used to provide students with an overall conceptual understanding of how to measure renal function.

Abstract

Measurements of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and the fractional excretion of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) are critical in assessing renal function in health and disease. GFR is measured as the steady state renal clearance of inulin which is filtered at the glomerulus, but not secreted or reabsorbed along the nephron. The fractional excretion of Na and K can be determined from the concentration of Na and K in plasma and urine. The renal clearance of inulin can be demonstrated in an anesthetized animal which has catheters in the femoral artery, femoral vein and bladder. The equipment and supplies used for this procedure are those commonly available in a research core facility, and thus makes this procedure a practical means for measuring renal function. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate the procedures required to perform a lab demonstration in which renal function is assessed before and after a diuretic drug. The presented technique can be utilized to assess renal function in rat models of renal disease.

Introduction

The most important function of the kidney is the homeostatic regulation of extracellular water and electrolyte content. The kidneys closely regulate extracellular water, sodium (Na) and potassium (K) to maintain normal physiological levels. Disturbances in renal function can result in serious metabolic disorders which can be fatal. The basic renal process occurs in the nephron and begins with the filtration of plasma at the glomerulus and ends with the excretion of urine. Other processes that determine the final concentration of water, Na and K in the urine are secretion and reabsorption within the nephron. Measurements of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the frac....

Protocol

Prior to any animal procedure, the institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) must approve the protocol. This protocol was approved by the Michigan State University IACUC.

1. Pre-lab Preparation of FITC-inulin Solution

1. Warm 20 ml of saline to 70 °C and slowly stir in 100 mg of FITC-inulin (5 mg/ml FITC-inulin) until all inulin is dissolved.
2. Cool solution to RT and add 800 mg of bovine serum albumin (40 mg/ml BSA, lyophilized powder, essentially globulin free, low endotoxin, ≥98% purity by agarose gel electrophoresis).
3. Filter the inulin-BSA solution with filter paper (grade 1).....

Results

The diuretic used in the lab demonstration was furosemide which very quickly inhibits the reabsorption of Na and K filtered by the kidney resulting in increased Na, K, and water excretion within minutes of drug administration. By its primary mechanism, furosemide should have minimal effects on GFR and the filtered load of Na and K, but will increase urine flow, and fractional excretion of Na and K.

The representative results in Table 3 show that in an anesthetized rat, the ave.......

Discussion

An appropriate marker for GFR measurement must meet four criteria: be freely filtered at the glomerulus, be unbound to plasma proteins, and neither be absorbed nor secreted in the nephron. Inulin is a fructose polymer which satisfies these criteria. As a result, the renal clearance of inulin is considered the gold standard for measuring GFR⁷. The demonstrated technique represents the traditional approach of determining the renal clearance of inulin using timed urine collections during a constant infusion of in.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
5-0 Braided Silk Surgical Suture	Surgical Specialties Corp	SP1033
Assay Plate, 96-Well	Costar	3922
Bovine Serum Albumin	Sigma Chemical Co	A2934-25G
Centrifuge	Beckman Coulter	MicroFuge 18, 357160
Conical Sample Tubes	Dot Scientific Inc.	#711-FTG
Cotton Tipped Applicators	Solon Manufacturing Co	56200
Data Acquisition Software	ADInstruments	LabChart Pro 7.0
Digital Scale	Denver Instrument	APX-4001
FITC-Inulin	Sigma Chemical Co	F3272-1G
Gauze Sponges	Covidien	2146
Heated Surgical Bed	EZ-Anesthesia	EZ-212
Heparin	Sagnet	NDC 25021-402-10
HEPES	Sigma Chemical Co	H3375
Isoflurane	Abbott Animal Health	IsoFlo, 5260-04-05
Isoflurane Vaporizer	EZ-Anesthesia	EZ-190F
Micro Dissecting Forceps	Biomedical Research Instruments Inc.	70-1020
Microplate Reader - Fluoroskan	ThermoScientific	Ascent FL, 5210460
NOVA 5+ Sodium/Potassium Analyzer	NOVA BioMedical	14156
Olsen-Hegar Needle Holders with Scissors	Fine Science Tools	12002-12
PE-190 (for bladder catheter)	BD Medical	427435
Pressure Transducer	ADInstruments	MLT1199
Pyrex Culture Tubes	Corning Inc.	99445-12
Rat Femoral Tapered Artery Catheter	Strategic Applications Inc.	RFA-01
Salix Furosemide 5%	Intervet	#34-478
Strabismus Scissors	Fine Science Tools	14075-11
Student Surgical Scissors	Fine Science Tools	91402-12
Surgical Gloves	Kimberly-Clark	Sterling Nitrile Gloves
Syringe pump	Razel Scientific	R99-E
Tissue Forceps	Fine Science Tools	91121-12
Tissue Scissors	George Tiemann  Co	105-420
5-0 Braided Silk Surgical Suture Surgical Specialties Corp SP1033 Assay Plate, 96-Well Costar  3922 Bovine Serum Albumin Sigma Chemical Co A2934-25G Centrifuge Beckman Coulter MicroFuge 18, 357160 Conical Sample Tubes Dot Scientific Inc.  #711-FTG Cotton Tipped Applicators Solon Manufacturing Co 56200 Data Acquisition Software ADInstruments LabChart Pro 7.0 Digital Scale  Denver Instrument APX-4001 FITC-Inulin Sigma Chemical Co F3272-1G Gauze Sponges Covidien 2146 Heated Surgical Bed EZ-Anesthesia EZ-212 Heparin Sagnet NDC 25021-402-10 HEPES Sigma Chemical Co H3375 Isoflurane Abbott Animal Health IsoFlo, 5260-04-05 Isoflurane Vaporizer EZ-Anesthesia EZ-190F Micro Dissecting Forceps Biomedical Research Instruments Inc. 70-1020 Microplate Reader - Fluoroskan ThermoScientific Ascent FL, 5210460 NOVA 5+ Sodium/Potassium Analyzer NOVA BioMedical 14156 Olsen-Hegar Needle Holders with Scissors Fine Science Tools 12002-12 PE-190 (for bladder catheter) BD Medical 427435 Pressure Transducer  ADInstruments MLT1199 Pyrex Culture Tubes Corning Inc. 99445-12 Rat Femoral Tapered Artery Catheter Strategic Applications Inc. RFA-01 Salix Furosemide 5% Intervet #34-478 Strabismus Scissors Fine Science Tools 14075-11 Student Surgical Scissors Fine Science Tools 91402-12 Surgical Gloves Kimberly-Clark Sterling Nitrile Gloves Syringe pump Razel Scientific R99-E Tissue Forceps Fine Science Tools 91121-12 Tissue Scissors George Tiemann  Co 105-420