In vivo measurement of tubular fluid ferrocyanide with carbon-fiber microelectrodes.

Techniques to construct carbon-fiber microelectrodes and to measure ferrocyanide ion concentration in single nephrons are described. The measurement involves polarizing an inert carbon-fiber microelectrode 500 mV positive with respect to a Ag-AgCl reference, while measuring the faradic current produced by the oxidation of ferrocyanide. A carbon fiber (5-7 micron diam) is heat sealed into a glass micropipette that is then sharpened, silanized, and electrochemically pretreated to minimize electrode degradation by protein. Circuit diagrams for an inexpensive voltage clamp-current monitor and a data sampling device are presented. The electrodes show a linear response to changes in ferrocyanide concentration in large and very small (20 nl) volumes in vitro. The electrodes were used in an electrochemical microassay to determine tubular fluid-to-plasma ferrocyanide concentration ratios and nephron filtration rates with proximal micropuncture samples. The results show excellent agreement with paired determinations using [3H]inulin. In vivo proximal tubule perfusion experiments show a rapid linear response to changes in tubular fluid ferrocyanide concentration. These electrodes permit rapid quantitative measurements of ferrocyanide concentration and water transport in the proximal tubule and may be useful in other biological systems.