Animal Physiology and Phenotyping Core

The Animal Physiology and Phenotyping Core provides specialized services and training for assessing renal function in small animals at the level of single tubules in vitro and in vivo (e.g. micropuncture, microperfusion, and tubule-specific microdissection), the whole kidney (e.g. clearance studies in anesthetized animals, perfusion fixation for histology studies), and the intact organism (e.g. balance studies in metabolic cages, acute and chronic BP measurements).

Specific phenotyping assays offered:

• collection of plasma and urine samples
• micropuncture
• in vivo microperfusion
• in vitro microperfusion
• microdissection of renal tubules
• inulin clearance to measure GFR
• PAH clearance to measure renal plasma flow (RPF)
• perfusion fixation of kidney and other organs
• acute and chronic BP measurements
• balance studies (individual metabolic cages)
• light-tight boxes with running wheels for circadian rhythm studies
• plasma and urine solute assays (such as BUN, creatinine, Na, K, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, albumin)
• measurements of blood acid-base parameters and renal net acid excretion
• brush border membrane preparation

Important additional services of the Physiology Core are to provide training and assistance with study design and experimental execution, especially with use of metabolic cages, matched feeding of special diets, and methods for collecting plasma and urine samples.