Skip to main content

Table 4 Interstitial volume (VI) – fraction of total extravascular water

From: The pharmacokinetics of the interstitial space in humans

Species

Solute

Reference

Organ

VI

Comments

Rat

EDTA

[35, 64, 65]

sk. mus.

.081–091

Renal ligature-sampled 30 minutes after death.

   

skin

.55–.73

 
   

tendon

.83

 
   

intestine

.28–.32

 
  

[66]

sk. mus

.12

Renal ligature-samples from live rat.

   

skin

.63

 
  

[67]1

sk. mus.

.075

Constant infusion. Measured time course of tissue uptake.

   

skin

.52

 
   

intestine

.15–.25

Muscle, stomach and intestine equilibrated in <40 minutes.

   

stomach

.23

 
   

adipose

.49

 
   

liver

.34

 
   

lung

.2

 
   

brain

≈ 0

 
  

[50]

skin

.61

Renal ligature – divided skin into dermis and sub-cutaneous samples.

   

   dermis

.67

 
   

   subcutis

.51

 
  

[68]1

sk. mus

.15

Constant infusion. Volume increased with time for skin and colon. Range indicates volume at 60 to 120 minutes

   

skin

.44–.63

 
   

sm. intestine

.29

 
   

colon

.3–.41

 
   

adipose

1.0

 
 

Sulfate

[69]1

skin

.65

Nephrectomized

   

muscle

.26

 
 

Mannitol

 

skin

.66

 
   

muscle

.26

 
 

Sulfate

[70]1,2

muscle

.12

Nephrectomized

 

Inulin

[9]

sk. mus.

.12

Constant infusion.

   

skin

.3

 
   

intestine

.12

 
   

liver

.2

 
   

lung

.27

 
  

[71]1

sk. mus.

.1

Constant infusion. Tissue uptake corresponds to capillary PS ≈ 0.6 ml/min/100 gm

Rabbit

EDTA

[72]

sk. mus

.077

Renal ligature.

   

skin

.42

 
 

EDTA

[73]1,2

sk. mus.

.10

Renal ligature. Measured time course of tissue uptake.

   

heart

.25

 
 

Sucrose

 

sk. mus.

.11

Equilibrated in < 30 minutes.

   

heart

.25

 
 

Inulin

 

sk. mus.

.1

 
   

heart

.24

 
  

[74]

sk. mus.

.09

Renal ligature. Determined time constant T≈ 9 min.

   

heart

.28

   T ≈ 1 min.

   

intestine

.2

   T ≈ 1.5 min

   

ear

.5

   T ≈ 12 min

Cat

EDTA

[75]

sk. mus.

.13

Renal ligature.

   

skin

.88

 

Dog

EDTA

[76]

sk. mus.

.16

Renal ligature.

   

skin

.78

 
 

Sulfate

[70]1,2

muscle

.20

Constant infusion. Equilibration time <30 minutes.

 

Sucrose

[49]1

sk. mus.

.23

Constant infusion. Cannulated prepopliteal lymphatic and measured lymph sucrose

   

skin

.53

 
   

tendon

.67

 
 

Thiosulfate

[51]2

muscle

.13

Renal ligature. Equilibration time < 180 min.

   

skin

.77

Equilibration time < 180 min

   

tendon

.75

Equilibration time ≥ 360 min.

 

Inulin

 

muscle

.1

Equilibration time < 180 min.

   

skin

.48

Equilibration time < 180 min

   

tendon

.26

Equilibration time ≥ 360 min.

Man

Inulin1,2

[77]

sk. mus.

.08–.11

Bolus plus constant infusion. Tissue biopsy after 20 – 120 minutes.

  1. 1Assumed total organ water (ml/100 gm) of: skeletal muscle, 75; heart, 78; skin, 60; subcutaneous tendon/ear, 60; stomach, 75; intestine, 73; adipose, 18.3; liver, 70; lung, 79 [35, 78]. 2Assumed plasma volume (ml/100 gm) of: skeletal muscle, 0.4; heart muscle, 2.0; skin 0.6 [64, 78].