title: Urinary GGT/creatinine ratio and fractional excretion of electrolytes in diarrhoeic calves.
abstract: The aim of this study was to monitor renal function in diarrhoeic calves and to determine the effectiveness of an applied fluid therapy. A total of 28 diarrhoeic (n = 18) and healthy (n = 10) Holstein-Friesian calves of different sexes, between 1 and 30 days of age, were used. Blood and urine samples were obtained from diarrhoeic calves before the treatment and then three more times at 24-h intervals during the treatment. From healthy calves, samples were taken only once. Therapy was started by the intravenous administration of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate and 0.9% sodium chloride solutions for the first 24 h, followed by the oral application of a commercial electrolyte solution (sodium chloride 3.5 g, trisodium citrate 2.9 g, potassium chloride 1.5 g and glucose anhydrous 20 g in 1 litre H2O) up to the 48th h of therapy. Before the therapy, the average levels of pH (7.10 +/- 0.12), bicarbonate (HCO3-) (16.48 +/- 3.80 mmol/l), base deficit (-12.65 +/- 5.97 mmo/l) and fractional excretion (FE) of sodium (0.16 +/- 0.11%) and potassium (15.07 +/- 8.56%) were significantly lower while serum urea (17.48 +/- 10.32 mmol/l) and creatinine (Cr) concentrations (169.72 +/- 98.12 micromol/l), haematocrit levels (45.13 +/- 13.60%) and urinary gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT)/Cr ratio (8.6 +/- 4.3 x 1/10(3) U/micromol) were significantly higher in diarrhoeic calves than in healthy calves. Alterations in parameters indicating the presence of renal dysfunction were normalised in the diarrhoeic calves that survived (83.3%). Three calves with severe metabolic acidosis and azotaemia died at the beginning of therapy. It was concluded that the FE of Na and K (FENa, FEK) and urine GGT/Cr ratio may have an important role in assessing renal function in diarrhoeic calves and in evaluating the effectiveness of an applied fluid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, 09016 Aydm, Turkey. bulutas@adu.edu.tr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulutas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000652:urine*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D007677:Kidney Function Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D003404:Creatinine; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase