title: Renal function in chronically catheterized conscious diabetic rats using constant and servo-controlled infusion.
abstract: 1. Infusion experiments were performed on chronically catheterized conscious rats to assess kidney function before and after the induction of diabetes mellitus with streptozotocin. 2. Two infusion regimens were used, a conventional constant-infusion protocol and a novel computer-driven, servo-controlled fluid replacement technique. The latter enables body fluid status to be maintained throughout a study occasion by servo-controlled replacement of spontaneous urinary fluid losses. 3. The chronically catheterized conscious rat infused using a servo-controlled system appears to be the optimum model for a study of diabetic renal function. The conscious preparation circumvents problems associated with anaesthesia and acute surgery. The servo-controlled infusion protocol maintains the altered fluid status of the diabetic condition. Both hyperfiltration and polyuria, characteristics of human diabetes often absent in anaesthetized and/or constantly infused diabetic rats, were seen in all conscious servo-controlled diabetic animals. 4. The new regimen enables a more accurate assessment of renal function in experimental diabetes than with previous protocols. It should prove useful in future studies, particularly those assessing the role of anti-diabetic drugs on the kidney.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cusack
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Balment
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D003243:Consciousness; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004360:Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014556:Urine