Reduced diffusion of charge-modified, conformationally intact anionic Ficoll relative to neutral Ficoll across the rat glomerular filtration barrier in vivo

• Axelsson J, Sverrisson K, Rippe A, Fissell W, Rippe B. Reduced diffusion of charge-modified, conformationally intact anionic Ficoll relative to neutral Ficoll across the rat glomerular filtration barrier in vivo. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 301: F708-F712, 2011. First published July 20, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00183.2011.-The glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) is commonly conceived as a negatively charged sieve to proteins. Recent studies, however, indicate that glomerular charge effects are small for anionic, carboxymethylated (CM) dextran vs. neutral dextran. Furthermore, two studies assessing the glomerular sieving coefficients (theta) for negative CM-Ficoll vs. native Ficoll have demonstrated an increased glomerular permeability for CM-Ficoll (Asgeirsson D, Venturoli D, Rippe B, Rippe C. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 291: F1083-F1089, 2006; Guimaraes M, Nikolovski J, Pratt L, Greive K, Comper W. Am Physiol Renal Physiol 285: F1118-F1124, 2003.). The CM-Ficoll used, however, showed a larger Stokes-Einstein radius (a(e)) than neutral Ficoll, and it was proposed that the introduction of negative charges in the Ficoll molecule had made it more flexible and permeable. Recently, a negative FITC-labeled CM-Ficoll (CMI-Ficoll) was produced with a conformation identical to that of neutral FITC-Ficoll. Using these probes, we determined their theta:s in anesthetized Wistar rats (259 +/- 2.5 g). After blood access had been achieved, the left ureter was cannulated for urine sampling. Either polysaccharide was infused (iv) together with a filtration marker, and urine and plasma were collected. Assessment of theta FITC-Ficoll was achieved by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). CMI-Ficoll and native Ficoll had identical elugrams on the HPSEC. Diffusion of anionic Ficoll was significantly reduced compared with that of neutral Ficoll across the GFB for molecules of a(e) similar to 20-35 angstrom, while there were no charge effects for Ficoll of a(e) similar to 35-80 angstrom. The data are consistent with a charge effect present in "small pores," but not in "large pores," of the GFB and mimicked those obtained for anionic membranes in vitro for the same probes.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Urologi och njurmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Urology and Nephrology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

capillary permeability

sieving coefficient

glomerular basement

membrane

FITC

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)