Technical problems in the micropuncture determination of nephron filtration rate and their functional implications

Summary The theory of a functional coupling between distal tubular fluid composition and glomerular filtration rate implies that the blockade of flow at a proximal site should lead to a marked increase of GFR. This potential alteration of steady state GFR was studied by comparing the influence of sampling from distal or proximal sites on the filtration rate of identical nephrons. During antidiuresis an average GFR of 25.2 nl/min±7.5 S.D. was found in distal collections, while proximally collected samples gave an average GFR of 34.5 nl/min±8.4 S.D. This difference of 9.3 nl/min is highly significant (p<0.001). During saline diuresis a mean nephron GFR of 41.6 nl/min±5.0 was found by distal sampling and of 45.3 nl/min±5.4 by proximal sampling (p>0.05). The proximal-distal difference in nephron GFR is interpreted to indicate the operation of a tubulo-glomerular feedback control system. Thus, a true steady-state GFR probably cannot be obtained by proximal fluid collection.Even in the presence of high intratubular pressures and unusually short oil blocks no evidence of sample contamination by retrograde fluid flow past an injected oil block was obtained.The application of a counter-pressure to the sampling pipette which has been recommended by Gertzet al. 5] as a means to standardize fluid collections, was found to lead to abnormally high intratubular pressures. The reason for this finding appears to be an unexpectedly high and inconstant tip resistance to flow during fluid flow into the pipette.