Measurement of interstitial fluid pressure in dogs: evaluation of methods

Interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) was measured with two acute (micropipettes and wick-in-needle) and two chronic methods (perforated and porous capsules) in dog skin/subcutis. In control conditions all techniques gave similar mean pressures, approximately -2 mmHg. Overhydration induced by intravenous Ringer infusion, 10% of body wt, caused two to three times greater increase in pressure recorded with chronic than with acute methods but 2 h after the end of the infusion all methods gave similar pressures. An almost opposite pattern was observed during dehydration induced by peritoneal dialysis with hypertonic glucose. The fall in pressure recorded with the perforated capsule exceeded that of the porous capsule, both exceeding the pressure reduction measured with the acute methods by a factor of 2-5. The difference between pressures measured with both acute methods and the perforated capsule increased in the 90 min following dialysis. Acute overhydration or dehydration as well as aspiration from or infusion into perforated capsules caused a pressure gradient between lumen, capsule wall, and surrounding skin. We propose that the transient pressure differences recorded by acute vs. chronic methods during changes in hydration result from different physical properties of the capsule lining compared with that of the surrounding skin, in addition to a possible osmometer effect of the capsule lining.