


Mg/dL x 88.4 = μmol/L Sample considerations Sample type Units of measurementĬreatinine concentration is measured in mg/dL (conventional units) and μmol/L (SI unit). We used to use the modified or kinetic version of the Jaffe reaction to measure creatinine in our laboratory but have moved to the enzymatic (PAP) method above. There are chromogen-based reactions for creatinine measurement, where creatinine reacts with picric acid. The hydrogen peroxide is converted by horseradish peroxidase (POD) in the presence of a dye (p-aminophenazone or PAP) and 2,4,6-triiodo-3-hydroxybenzoic acid (HTIB) to a colored chromogen (quinone), which is directly proportional to the creatinine concentration, and hydrogen iodide (HI) (image is copied from product information sheet). Sarcosine reacts with sarcosine oxidase (SOD) to form glycine, formaldehyde (HCHO) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2). Two point endpoint with creatininase and sarcosine oxidase (enzymatic method) ProcedureĬreatininase converts creatinine to creatine and then sarcosine and urea. Measurement of creatinine concentration in serum or plasma is included in chemistry profiles mainly to screen for decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), even though the relationship between creatinine and GFR is not linear and creatinine is relatively insensitive to changes in GFR.

Therefore, creatinine is considered a more reliable measure of GFR, compared to urea nitrogen, in most species, except for ferrets, as it is not influenced by diet or protein catabolism. Creatinine is filtered freely through the glomerulus and is not reabsorbed in the tubules (except in goats). An additional and relatively minor source is creatinine ingested during consumption of muscle tissue and absorbed from the intestines. In health, production and excretion of creatinine are fairly constant in an individual animal, resulting in low variation in an individual animal ( Ruaux et al 2012, Hokamp and Nabity review 2016). Note that creatine is actually produced in the liver from amino acids (glycine and arginine) that have been modified by the kidney. Phosphocreatine, an energy-storing molecule in muscle, undergoes spontaneous cyclization to form creatine and inorganic phosphorous. Creatinine is produced as the result of normal muscle metabolism.
