Postmortem Vitreous Humor Analysis in Dogs, Cats and Horses.

This research focuses on the analysis of postmortem vitreous humor in dogs, cats, and horses using the Element DC chemistry analyzer. The study concluded that the machine can accurately and successfully analyze the postmortem vitreous humor from these animals.

Introduction and Objective of the Study

• The research primarily involved the study of postmortem vitreous humor in animals, specifically dogs, cats, and horses. The researchers sought to conduct an investigation using postmortem chemistry, notably with vitreous humor.
• In forensic pathology, postmortem chemistry can add useful information to a death investigation. However, the scientists pointed out the scarcity of data when it comes to the application of postmortem vitreous humor analysis in animals.
• To make such analysis possible in veterinary forensic investigations, the researchers aimed to validate a method to analyze vitreous humor. They also aimed to identify the precision, bias, TEobs, and sigma (σ) of the Element DC chemistry analyzer when used with vitreous humor.

Methodology

• The researchers assessed the precision of the Element DC chemistry analyzer using vitreous humor gathered from dead cats, dogs, and horses.
• To check the stability of postmortem vitreous humor from these three species, they analyzed the quality control material (QCM) and pooled vitreous humor samples.
• The testing was carried out for sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), creatinine (Crea), and blood/vitreous urea nitrogen.

Results

• The Element DC analyzer showed precision and accuracy when it was used to test the QCM.
• The research found that most within-run coefficients of variance (CVs) were less than 5% when the pooled vitreous humors from the three species were analyzed. Also, the between-run CVs for five out of six analytes were found to be less than 5%, in dogs, cats, and horses.
• The researchers noted that capped samples of vitreous humor remained stable from all three species, even when kept outside refrigeration for up to 5 hours.

Conclusions

• Based on the findings, the researchers proposed that the Element DC analyzer is fitting for analyzing postmortem vitreous humor from cats, horses, and dogs, which can be useful in forensic investigations involving those species.