Determination of reference intervals of creatinine clearance in laboratory animals
The assessment of renal function is an important part of monitoring the health of laboratory animals in preclinical studies. One of the most important indicators for the assessment of renal function is serum creatinine concentration and endogenous creatinine clearance. Creatinine is the breakdown product of creatine phosphate in muscle tissue, which is further filtered from the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. Its level depends on the amount of muscle mass and the intensity of the animals metabolic processes. In general, an increase in creatinine levels in the blood reflects insufficient renal filtration ability, it is worth noting that creatinine concentration is not a specific marker of nephropathies, making its single use in the assessment of renal dysfunction incorrect. One of the indicators to monitor animal health as well as renal excretory dysfunction is endogenous creatinine clearance, which reflects the level of glomerular filtration. A review of the literature has shown that information on endogenous creatinine clearance in laboratory animals is insufficient and the data vary widely between animal species and between lines of the same animal species. A review of the literature has shown that information on endogenous creatinine clearance in laboratory animals is insufficient and the data vary widely between animal species and between lines of the same animal species. The aim of the study was to establish a base of reference intervals of creatinine clearance in laboratory animals - CD-1 mice, Mongolian gerbils, Syrian hamsters, Wistar rats, Agouti guinea pigs, ferrets, cats, Beagle dogs, minipigs, rabbits, Javanese macaques and marmoset. In the course of the work, a method of obtaining urine samples within 24 hours using metabolic cells was perfected. Urine collection in large animals was carried out using a hydrophobic bedding. Creatinine clearance was determined for all animals under the same conditions using common analytical methods. The endogenous creatinine clearance values of laboratory animals established in this work may be useful in the evaluation of nephrotoxicity within the framework of pharmacological safety, in the study of the pharmacological potential of new nephrotherapeutic agents, and in the monitoring of animal health.