An experimental model using in vivo fluorescence microscopy for studies of renal cortical blood flow was tested in 40 mice. The model was suitable for testing a wide variety of hypotheses concerning alterations in renal cortical blood flow, including the possibility of inhomogeneous capillary blood flow distribution in response to i.v. infusions. The experimental model was tested for the effects of i.v. infusion of mannitol (0.3 mol/l). Effects of anesthesia and mechanical kidney fixation on renal cortical blood flow were studied. Neuroleptic analgesia was less hazardous to the animals than pentobarbital. Due to artifacts from respiratory and peristaltic motion, it was not possible to use neuroleptic analgesia without mechanical kidney fixation. A rating scale was designed for evaluating the capillary blood flow. The correlation between repeated ratings by the same observer was 0.806 and between 2 different observers 0.59.