Measurement of flow rate in rat proximal tubules with a nonobstructing optical method.

A method was developed for measuring volume flow rate in free-flowing proximal tubules. Multiple injections of a solution containing fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (mol wt 20,000) were made into the tubular fluid stream while fluorescence was detected by videomicroscopy. Progression of the dye bolus between two points along the tubule was measured to determine fluid velocity. Tubule diameter was measured by video image shearing and flow rate was calculated from the product of velocity and cross-sectional area. The technique was validated by simultaneous collections in the same tubule just downstream. There was good correlation between the results obtained with the two methods (r = 0.89). The estimated average injection volume was 0.0165 +/- 0.00016 nl. An increase in tubular volume flow caused by repetitive injections during micropuncture collections was too small to be detected. This new method should be useful in experimental situations that require uninterrupted delivery of fluid to the macula densa, or when better temporal resolution is required than can be obtained with the conventional method.