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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Physiology Lab Demonstration: Glomerular Filtration Rate in a Rat
Published on: July 26, 2015
Comparison of two formulae for estimation of glomerular filtration rate in children
Stanley Hellerstein1, Max Berenbom, Sylvia DiMaggio
1Section of Nephrology, The Children's Mercy Hospital, The University of Missouri School of Medicine at Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA. shellers@ cmh.edu
Abstract:
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured in 216 studies in 151 children using the cimetidine protocol. This was compared with the GFR calculated using Léger's pharmacokinetic equation and with that calculated using k*L/[Cr](s )(constant x length in centimeters divided by serum creatinine concentration). The GFR calculated using the equation GFR=k*L/[Cr](s) yielded a closer approximation to the measured GFR than that using Léger's pharmacokinetic equation. Currently there is focus on screening children for decreased GFR to identify those with asymptomatic chronic kidney disease at a time when intervention may delay progression to chronic renal failure. This study showed close approximation of the calculated GFR with the measured GFR using the equation GFR=k*L/[Cr](s), when the values for k were determined in the laboratory in which creatinine was measured.
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