Figure 3

Kinetics of peritoneal deterioration in mice submitted to peritoneal dialysis. A catheter with a subcutaneous port was installed in all mice. After recovery from the surgery, the peritoneal membrane permeability was determined by in vivo imaging (time 0). ROI images from the nose and paws (left and right, respectively) on different days are shown (a). The circulating concentration of FITC-dextran was determined by in vivo imaging from the nose and paws (b). The calibration curve for FITC-dextran concentration over time was calculated for each mouse every week; the slope represents the rate of tracer influx into circulation (μg/min) for each individual calibration curve shown in C (n=4). Area under the curve and slope of the curve were used for the statistical analysis, showing similar results. *P<0.05; **P<0.01.