title: Suitability of tritiated inulin for determination of glomerular filtration rate.
abstract: Purity of different batches of [3H]inulin delivered from leading manufacturers was elevated with a chromatographic method (Sephadex G-25 column) that allowed simultaneous analysis of cold inulin, [3H]inulin, and [14C]inulin in the same run. Among four batches of [3H]inulin received within 5 mo, two were found relatively pure, whereas two were partly decomposed to lower-molecular-weight fragments. The chromatographic profile of pure isotopes was not significantly affected by redistribution and freeze drying, nor by subsequent storage in the freeze-dried state at -20 degrees C for up to 5 mo, nor by incubation in aqueous solution at 37 degrees C for 24 h. Three batches of [3H]inulin with different grades of decomposition (noninulin percentages 13%, 38%, and 61%, respectively) were selected for clearance experiments and infused simultaneously with cold and undecomposed [14C]inulin to conscious rats. [14C]inulin had a significantly higher clearance than cold inulin (+7.6 +/- 0.6%) and relatively pure [3H]inulin (+12.4 +/- 0.4%). Decomposed [3H]inulin isotopes progressively underestimated clearance of cold inulin to an extent related to the degree of decomposition. Thus at the end of the 5-h clearance experiment, ratios between clearance of tracer and of cold inulin were 0.92, 0.71, and 0.60 for the three 3H isotopes, respectively. This study indicates that [3H]inulin delivered from leading manufacturers may be decomposed to an extent that invalidates its use as a marker for glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It is thus necessary to check the purity routinely before use. Within the same rat, clearance of undecomposed [3H]inulin and [14C]inulin may differ by 12%, and for this reason they should not be used interchangeably as GFR markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shalmi
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Lunau
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002845:Chromatography; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D007444:Inulin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014316:Tritium; D007444:Inulin