Tear urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in horse and their correlation with serum values.

The research article examines the correlation levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine in tears and serum of horses, with the aim of exploring alternate diagnostic methods for uremia.

Research Objective

• The main objective of this research was to determine the physiological values of urea nitrogen and creatinine in the tears of horses. These values were then compared to the values obtained from serum (the liquid part of the blood) to understand if there’s a correlation.

Methodology

• The study was conducted on thirty healthy thoroughbred horses. These animals served as the subjects for the research.
• Tear fluid samples were collected using a glass capillary tube which was placed in the lower conjunctival cul-de-sac, an area in the eye from where tears are typically secreted.
• Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of each horse for comparison.
• The urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in both the tear and serum samples were analyzed quantitatively using an enzymatic colorimetric method.

Findings

• The study found that urea nitrogen values were 4.22+/-1.84 mmol/l in tears and 4.44+/-1.78 mmol/l in serum. This showed that the urea nitrogen levels in tears and serum were similar.
• The creatinine values in tears were significantly lower, 14.14+/-7.74 micromol/l, compared to the levels in serum, 147.63+/-12.17 micromol/l.
• Further statistical analysis confirmed that there was a significant correlation between the serum and tear urea levels, thus indicating that the amount of urea in the serum can be gauged by measuring it in the tears. The creatinine levels, however, were not significantly correlated in tears and serum.

Implications

• As the results show a significant correlation of urea levels in serum and tears, it suggests the potential for an alternative method to diagnose uremia, a condition involving elevated urea levels in the blood, using tear content.
• This may lead to non-invasive and simpler ways to detect and monitor uremia in veterinary practice, underlining the importance of this research for veterinary medicine.