Utility and limitations of serum creatinine as a measure of renal function in experimental renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.
BACKGROUND
Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the major cause of delayed graft function in renal allografts. The present study was performed to investigate the validity of serum creatinine (SCr) level as an indicator of postischemic renal dysfunction in mice.


METHODS
Renal IRI or sham surgery was induced in C57BL/6 mice, and SCr level and inulin clearance (Cin) were measured between 24 hr and 7 days after ischemia.


RESULTS
Cin in IRI mice was reduced 75% at 72 hr after ischemia in association with a nearly threefold increase in SCr level. Cin in IRI mice did not recover between 72 hr and 7 days after ischemia, even though SCr level at 7 days was not different between control and IRI mice. In IRI mice, SCr level measured at 24, 48, and 72 hr after ischemia correlated inversely with Cin measured at 72 hr, but not 7 days, after ischemia.


CONCLUSIONS
SCr level in the early postischemic period (24-72 hr) seems to be a valid indicator of early postischemic renal dysfunction, and that renal function remains markedly depressed at 7 days despite suggestion from the SCr value that renal function is improving.
O'Donnell
Michael P
MP
Division of Nephrology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Building 9 South, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205-2196, USA.
Burne
Melissa
M
Daniels
Frank
F
Rabb
Hamid
H
D000818:Animals; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood*; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D003404:Creatinine