title: Effects of ultracentrifugation on plasma biochemical values of prefledged wild peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in northeastern Illinois.
abstract: Centrifugation is performed on whole blood samples to obtain serum or plasma for biochemical analysis. Although blood samples centrifuged in a microhematocrit tube may maximize recovery of plasma from small-volume samples, plasma biochemical values from such samples have been implicated as causing erroneous results. To compare blood biochemical values obtained by microhematocrit centrifugation and centrifugation with a commercial tilt-rotor machine, blood samples were collected from peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) eyases aged 32-40 days (n=51). The samples were separated into 2 equal aliquots with 1 aliquot centrifuged in a tilt-rotor machine and the other aliquot ultracentrifuged in microhematocrit tubes. Separated plasma from both processes was sent to a commercial veterinary reference laboratory for routine clinical biochemical analysis. No significant differences were found in the biochemical results of the paired samples by the 2 centrifugation methods. These results show that the centrifugation method has no effect on the plasma quality for biochemical analysis in young peregrine falcons.
authors.affiliation: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pond
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pauley
authors.forename: Kathryn C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Gamble
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D046093:Falconiformes / Q000097:blood*; D007087:Illinois; D014461:Ultracentrifugation / Q000662:veterinary*