J.P. Braun

Creatine kinase in the dog: a review.

In the dog, creatine kinase (CK) is mostly present in the skeletal muscles, myocardium, brain and intestine. The MM isoenzyme predominates in muscles and myocardium. In plasma, reference values depend on the technique used and CK-MB accounts for about 30–45% of total CK activity. Sex has no influence on plasma CK activity, which is higher in young dogs than in adults. Plasma CK is elevated after physical exercise. After its release from the cells, CK reaches the plasma mostly via the lymphatic route and then remains in the plasma compartment. It is rapidly cleared with a half-life of about 2 hours. Muscle diseases are the main source of plasma CK elevations: inherited myopathies, malignant hyperthermia, hypothyroidism, vitamin E-selenium deficiency, prolonged decubitus, intramuscular injections, surgery, etc. Plasma CK is also increased in experimental myocardial infarction, for which the dog is an interesting model, allowing quantification of the damage by measuring the total CK activity released.

Gamma Glutamyl Transferase in domestic animals

In domestic animals, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase is mainly in the kidneys, the pancreas and the intestine; its liver activity is relatively high in cows, horses, sheep, and goats and very low in dogs, cats and birds. The use of plasma reference values can help to interpret the variations of serum GGT mainly in hepatobiliary diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and cholestatic disorders of dogs. Urinary GGT is a good test of kidney toxic damage.

The accuracy of the i-STAT portable analyser for measuring blood gases and pH in whole-blood samples from dogs.

To assess the suitability of the i-STAT portable analyser for use by non-laboratory personnel, we measured blood gases and pH in venous blood samples from 100 dogs. Demings regression and bias plots were used to compare i-STAT results with those obtained by laboratory professionals using two different autocalibrated benchtop analysers. Overall accuracy of the portable analyser proved excellent for pH, pO(2), and pCO(2) (r=0.978, 0.968 and 0.997, respectively), with Demings regression slopes close to 1.00 (0.96, 0.97 and 1.08 for pH, pO(2), and pCO(2), respectively) and intercepts close to zero (0.28, 0.47 kPa and 0.46 kPa for pH, pO(2), and pCO(2), respectively). The accuracy of the i-STAT was also satisfactory for calculated parameters: bicarbonates, total CO(2), base excess and oxygen saturation. Our findings show this portable analyser to be a valid substitute for expensive benchtop analysers in situations requiring mobility, or when small numbers of tests are to be performed by users not specialized in laboratory techniques.

Plasma Cystatin C in the Dog: Reference Values and Variations with Renal Failure

Abstract: Cystatin C is a low-molecular-mass acid protein produced at a constant rate by all nucleated cells and cleared by glomerular filtration. In human medicine it is considered to be a better indicator of renal failure than creatinine. Plasma (Pl-) cystatin C measurements in 179 clinically healthy dogs, using an immunoturbidimetric procedure for human cystatin C, showed a Gaussian distribution with an upper limit of 1.3 mg/l. There were no differences between the sexes. Pl-cystatin C was slightly lower in 1–8-year-old adults than in younger or older dogs. It was also lower in dogs weighing less than 15 kg than in heavier ones. Meals produced a dramatic decrease in Pl-cystatin C that lasted for up to 9h. Pl-cystatin C was elevated in 98% of dogs with renal insufficiency, even in some cases where the Pl-creatinine was normal. Cystatin C may therefore be a useful indicator of renal insufficiency in clinically relevant dogs with borderline P1-creatinine values.

Creatine kinase in dog plasma: preanalytical factors of variation, reference values and diagnostic significance.

In the dog, plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity was stable up to one week at +4 degrees C and one month at -20 degrees C. Activity was higher in serum than in plasma due to interference by CK from the platelets. The reference values were determined in 232 dogs using the IFCC recommended method. There was a significant decrease in activity with age but no effect of sex. In adults, plasma CK exhibited a log-normal distribution ranging from 20 to 104 U per litre. In 510 dogs with various diseases, the overall sensitivity and specificity of CK determination were 40 per cent and 98 per cent, respectively. The numerous false negatives could result from the relatively short half-life of the enzyme, while the false positives could be due to secondary muscle damage.

Urine gamma-glutamyl transferase in rat kidney toxicology: nephropathy by repeated injections of mercuric chloride. Effects of sodium selenite.

Groups of 5 male and 4 female Cobs CD rats weighing 250--350 g were injected intraperitoneally, daily for 15 days, with 5 mumol HgCl2/kg, 5 mumol Na2SeO3/kg, or (5 mumol HgCl2 + 5 mumol Na2SeO3)/kg in a 10 ml/kg vol. of saline. Control animals were injected with saline only. Injection of saline or sodium selenite produced neither modification of diuresis, nor of urine elimination of sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphates, urea, creatinine and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). Injection of mercuric chloride induced a massive increase of urine GGT, diuresis and phosphaturia and a decrease of kaliuria and natriuria. Those effects reflect a kidney tubular lesion which seems to be more severe in males than in females. Injection of mixed sodium selenite and mercuric chloride or separate injection of both compounds had similar effects. In both sexes, urine GGT elimination was delayed and about 2 times lower than with HgCl2 alone. In females, the other urine parameters were almost normal whereas in males, diuresis and phosphaturia were slightly increased and kaliuria decreased. The observation of urine GGT elimination attests, in vivo, that sodium selenite decreases tubular toxicity of mercuric chloride and resulting kidney function disturbances.

PLASMA ERYTHROPOIETIN CONCENTRATIONS IN DOGS AND CATS : REFERENCE VALUES AND CHANGES WITH ANAEMIA AND/OR CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

Reference ranges of plasma erythropoietin concentration measured by immunoassay in 67 healthy cats and 40 healthy dogs were 1.9 to 22.9 mU ml-1 and 1.3 to 13.4 mU ml-1 respectively. Very significant increases of plasma erythropoietin concentration were observed in 22 cats and 32 dogs with anaemia without chronic renal failure (CRF), but 35 cats and 37 dogs with CRF had normal or moderately reduced erythropoietin concentrations. In cats there was almost no overlap of erythropoietin between the groups but in dogs there was a significant overlap. The measurement of plasma erythropoietin is therefore probably more useful in the diagnosis of anaemia in cats than in dogs, either with or without CRF.

Experimental Acute Sodium Fluoride Poisoning in Sheep: Renal, Hepatic, and Metabolic Effects

Sheep received a single intragastric dose of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 mmol F-/kg. Mild signs occurred at 1.5 mmol F-/kg and the animals recovered 2 days later. With the 2.0 mmol F-/kg dose all animals showed dullness, anorexia, and mild diarrhea which decreased from the third day. Dose-related congestion of duodenum, liver, kidney, and lung was observed in all animals. For the two higher doses kidney degeneration and tubular necrosis were associated with glomerular inflammation. Serum fluoride had a dose-related increase and was still significantly elevated on Day 7 for sheep given doses higher than or equal to 1.0 mmol F-/kg. Serum calcium and glucose levels were significantly lowered for all doses on the first day and the decrease was dose-related. In sheep given 2.0 mmol F-/kg total proteins and sodium were significantly lowered, whereas potassium and urea were increased (p less than 0.05); alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were both lowered (p less than 0.01) on the first day and ALP was still lowered on Day 7. For the highest dose glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was increased on Days 1 and 7 and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was increased on Day 1 and lowered on Day 7. Diuresis was increased for the two higher doses in Day 3 or 4 following dosage. A dose-related increase of daily fluoride excretion occurred for all doses on Day 1 and fluoride excretion was still significantly elevated on Day 7 except for the lowest dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute kidney toxicity of sodium fluoride in the rat.

Single i.p injection of 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 mmol NaF/kg to male rats induced a dose-related increase of urine gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) elimination on the first day for all doses higher or equal to 0.25 mmol NaF/kg. Kidney damage began between 2--4 h following the injection and lasted only 12 h for the 0.50 mmol NaF/kg dose. There was an increase of diuresis and of phosphaturia even at lower doses.

Acute kidney disturbances by lead acetate in the rat.

Four groups of 5 male and 5 female rats were dosed i.p. with 0, 0.05, 0.15 and 0.30 mmol Pb2+/kg as neutral acetate. A minimal kidney damage shown by an increased urinary GGt was only observed in males at the highest dose. In all animals and for all doses natriuria was significantly decreased on the first day (from the 4th hour). Such disturbances evoke mild tubular disturbances but glomerular disturbances may also be involved.