Plasma creatinine determination in mice and rats: an enzymatic method compares favorably with a high-performance liquid chromatography assay.

A Keppler, N Gretz, R Schmidt, H-M Kloetzer, H-J Groene, B Lelongt, M Meyer, M Sadick, J Pill

Index: Kidney Int. 71(1) , 74-8, (2007)

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Abstract

The use of the colorimetric Jaffé method for the measurement of creatinine in mouse and rat plasma has been criticized as prior studies have shown a dramatic overestimation. We compared a colorimetric picric acid, an enzymatic, and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to assess their appropriateness for routine measurements of creatinine in plasma of healthy and diseased mice (n=61) and rats (n=56). For the colorimetric Jaffé method a pronounced overestimation is confirmed. Additionally the method showed interference with hemoglobin already in a very low, non-visible concentration range in rat plasma. The enzymatic measurement demonstrated a hemoglobin interference in mice, only when hemolysis was visible. The comparison between HPLC and the enzymatic measurement gave a good agreement between both methods in both species. Therefore the enzymatic method fulfills the requirements for a routine screening test for plasma creatinine in healthy as well as diseased mice and rats Kiover a broad concentration range.