Transcutaneous measurement of renal function in conscious mice

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2012 Sep;303(5):F783-8. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00279.2012. Epub 2012 Jun 13.

Abstract

Determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in conscious mice is cumbersome for the experimenter and stressful for the animals. Here we report on a simple new technique allowing the transcutaneous measurement of GFR in conscious mice. This approach extends our previously developed technique for rats to mice. The technique relies on a miniaturized device equipped with an internal memory that permits the transcutaneous measurement of the elimination kinetics of the fluorescent renal marker FITC-sinistrin. This device is described and validated compared with FITC-sinistrin plasma clearance in healthy, unilaterally nephrectomized and pcy mice. In summary, we describe a technique allowing the measurement of renal function in freely moving mice independent of blood or urine sampling as well as of laboratory assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Consciousness
  • Fluoresceins*
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Glomerular Filtration Rate*
  • Kidney / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Miniaturization
  • Oligosaccharides* / urine
  • Urinary Tract Physiological Phenomena

Substances

  • Fluoresceins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Oligosaccharides
  • fluorescein-isothiocyanate sinistrin