Using urea dilution to standardise components of pleural and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids in the dog.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a technique to estimate the volume of epithelial lining fluid (ELF) obtained during bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and pleural lavage (PL) in the dog, using the urea dilution method.


METHODS
BAL and PL fluids were obtained by saline lavage of pulmonary and pleural cavities of nine clinically healthy mixed-breed dogs immediately after euthanasia. Cell counts in the BAL and PL fluids were measured using standard techniques. The concentration of ELF in each lavage fluid was calculated from the relative concentration of urea in plasma and in each type of lavage fluid. Cell counts in ELF were then calculated.


RESULTS
There were substantially higher cell counts in ELF compared to BAL or PF fluid. However, nucleated cell counts in ELF could not be predicted from cell counts in BAL or PL fluid.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that accurate assessment of cellular or non-cellular components in lavage fluids should include a calculation of the proportion of ELF recovered, using a method such as urea dilution.
Mills
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PC
School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. p.mills@uq.edu.au
Litster
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D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000662:veterinary; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis
D014508:Urea