A simple, dual tracer method for the measurement of transvascular flux of albumin into the lung.

A simple, first-order model of albumin kinetics in the rat lung is presented and validated with a more sophisticated model. The simple model assumes that intravascular concentration of tracer albumin is constant over 30 min after injection and transvascular flux of tracer albumin is unidirectional and proportional to the permeability-surface area product (PS). 125I-albumin is injected initially and 131I-albumin at 20 min. At 30 min the rat is sacrificed and plasma and tissue samples are obtained for gamma counting. Simultaneous equations are set up for the two tracers and solved for PS and plasma volume. The accuracy of this approach is examined with data generated from a more complete model. This model uses the concepts of hydraulic conductivity, solvent drag, reflection coefficients, hydrostatic and osmotic pressures, exclusion volumes, and lymph flow, as well as PS. Based on known PS and clearance rates from the complex model, the simple model estimates tracer albumin leakage rate with less than 5% error over the range of PS encountered in rat studies.