PAH is used to measure-
Ans. is 'c' i.e., Renal plasma flow * Imagine a substance that not only passes freely across the glomerular membrane but is also secreted by the tubules to such an extent that the plasma leaving the kidney does not contain that substance any more. In that case the entire plasma flowing through the kidney would be cleared of the subsance. Or, in other words, the clearance of the substance would give us the renal plasma flow (RPF). A substance which closely satisfies this description is para-aminohipporic acid (PAH). Therefore, PAH is used t o measure renal plasma flow.* The PAH clearance in a normal adult is about 625 ml/minute. This is a measure of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF). PAH is only 90% excreted in the urine in a single passage through the kidney, i.e., its extraction ratio is 0.9 (90%). Therefore, PAH understimates RPF by about 10% because it does not measure the plasma flowing through those portions of the kidney which do not secrete PAH, the renal medulla, perirenal fat, renal capsule, pelvis and calyces. Thus actual RPF is 10% more than ERPF i.e., 690 ml/min.Knowing RPF and hematocrit (RBCs), renal blood flow can be calculated.* In simple words, clearance of PAH is a measure of effective renal plasma flow and actual renal plasma flow is 10% more than the PAH renal clearance (or ERPF).
Extracellular fluid
Glomerular filtration rate
Renal plasma flow
Plasma value
Kidneys and Body Fluids