Serum creatinine can be used as a surrogate for glomerular filtration rate in single renal unit models.
OBJECTIVE
Single renal unit models are invaluable for studies in renal physiology, transplantation and response to ischemic injury. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is commonly used for evaluation of renal function. Measuring the GFR involves relatively complicated and expensive systems. In this study we determined whether serum creatinine (Scr) can predict the GFR in this model.


METHODS
Right laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed in 46 female pigs weighing 25 kg-30 kg. Twelve days later the left kidney was exposed to various periods of warm ischemia (30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes). Scr and GFR (using the iohexol clearance method) were determined preoperatively and at postoperative days 1, 3, 8, 15, 22 and 29. A total of 244 pairs of Scr and GFR values were analyzed to determine a formula for predicting GFR (pGFR) from Scr.


RESULTS
Scr range was 1.2 mg/dl -29 mg/dl and GFR range was 1.8 ml/min -180.5 ml/min. The empiric formula deduced from the database for calculating pGFR from Scr was: pGFR = (217 divided by Scr) minus 0.2. pGFR correlated well with the actual GFR (R(2) = 0.85). The graphs for pGFR were almost indistinguishable from the graphs for actual GFR in every single animal. The results and conclusions of the experiments using either actual or predicted GFR were identical.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that in a single renal unit porcine model using ischemia as the insult to the kidney, expensive actual measurements of GFR can be reliably replaced by Scr based calculated GFR.
Gofrit
Ofer N
ON
Department of Surgery, Section of Urology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Orvieto
Marcelo A
MA
Zorn
Kevin C
KC
Steinberg
Gary D
GD
Zagaja
Gregory P
GP
Shalhav
Arieh L
AL
D000818:Animals; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
D003404:Creatinine