Peritoneal transport with icodextrin solution.

Icodextrin is the only large molecular weight osmotic agent available in peritoneal dialysis solutions. Icodextrin (compared to glucose) has a prolonged positive ultrafiltration because of the slow absortion of icodextrin due to its large molecular weight. As icodextrin induces transcapillary ultrafiltration by a mechanism resembling 'colloid' osmosis (with the ultrafiltration occurring mainly through the small pores) almost no sieving of solutes is observed with icodextrin-based solution resulting in increased convective transport and clearance of small solutes. In general, the transport characteristics of the peritoneal membrane are similar with glucose- and icodextrin-based solution, but results from the EAPOS study suggests that use of icodextrin-based solution may be associated with less changes in peritoneal transport with time.