Intrarenal Drug Delivery in Rats: A Method to Deliver Therapeutic Drugs in Rat Kidney via Intra-arterial Injection

Intra-arterial injection facilitates localized delivery to target organs like the kidney while minimizing drug accumulation in other organs. To begin, prep an anesthetized rat in the supine position. Make a small midline incision to expose the peritoneal cavity.

Exteriorize the underlying organs to locate the abdominal aorta. Around the kidney, the aorta branches into the renal artery, between the renal vein and the ureter. Now, remove the connective tissue surrounding the aorta and renal artery.

Clamp the posterior and anterior segments of the aorta to briefly obstruct the blood supply during injection. Gently insert a catheter into the aorta and advance it parallelly into the renal artery. Additionally, connect a syringe filled with the desired drug suspension to the catheter.

Following syringe attachment, inject the suspension into the renal artery. Immediately thereafter, clamp the renal vein and ureter to allow drug distribution within the kidney. A gradual color change in the kidney confirms efficient delivery of the drug suspension.

Next, remove the catheter and apply tissue adhesive to seal the punctured site. Subsequently, remove the clamps from the surrounding vasculature. Return the organs into the body cavity and suture the incision. Allow the rat to recover and regularly monitor for further analysis.