Highly Sensitive Measurement of Glomerular Permeability in Mice with Fluorescein Isothiocyanate-polysucrose 70

The loss of albumin in urine (albuminuria) predicts cardiovascular outcome. Under physiological conditions, small amounts of albumin are filtered by the glomerulus and reabsorbed in the tubular system up until the absorption limit is reached. Early increases in pathological albumin filtration may, thus, be missed by analyzing albuminuria. Therefore, the use of tracers to test glomerular permselectivity appears advantageous. Fluorescently labeled tracer fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-polysucrose (i.e., FITC-Ficoll), can be used to study glomerular permselectivity. FITC-polysucrose molecules are freely filtered by the glomerulus but not reabsorbed in the tubular system. In mice and rats, FITC-polysucrose has been investigated in models of glomerular permeability by using technically complex procedures (i.e., radioactive measurements, high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC], gel filtration). We have modified and facilitated a FITC-polysucrose tracer-based protocol to test early and small increases in glomerular permeability to FITC-polysucrose 70 (size of albumin) in mice. This method allows repetitive urine analyses with small urine volumes (5 µL). This protocol contains information on how the tracer FITC-polysucrose 70 is applied intravenously and urine is collected via a simple urinary catheter. Urine is analyzed via a fluorescence plate reader and normalized to a urine concentration marker (creatinine), thereby avoiding technically complex procedures.