Chemistry Tests & Protocols

The Clinical Pathology Lab offers the following chemistry tests with the listed protocols.

Customized pricing may apply for high volume testing, batch testing, or panels of tests.  Please contact the Clinical Pathology Lab by phone, 612-625-1746, or by email, [email protected], for additional information regarding discount pricing.

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Chemistry single tests

Serum

Test name Test initials Specimen Minimum volume
Alanine Aminotransferase ALT Serum 50 µl
Albumin Alb Serum

50 µl
Alkaline Phosphatase ALP Serum 50 µl
Amylase Amy Serum 50 µl
Aspartate Aminotransferase AST Serum 50 µl
Beta-hydroxybutyrate BHY Serum 50 µl
Bicarbonate HCO3 Serum 50 µl
Bile acid (Fasting & Post Prandial) Bile Serum 50 µl
Bilirubin, Total Tbili Serum 50 µl
Blood Urea Nitrogen BUN Serum 50 µl
Calcium Ca Serum 50 µl
Chloride Cl Serum 50 µl
Cholesterol Chol Serum 50 µl
Creatine Kinase CK Serum 50 µl
Creatinine Creat Serum 50 µl
Gamma Glutamyltransferase GGT Serum 50 µl
Glucose Gluc Serum 50 µl
Lactate Dehydrogenase LDH Serum 50 µl
Magnesium Mg Serum 50 µl
Phenobarbitol Pheno Serum 50 µl
Phosphorus Phos Serum 50 µl
Potassium K Serum 50 µl
Sodium Na Serum 50 µl
Sorbitol Dehydrogenase SDH Serum 50 µl
Total Protein TP Serum 50 µl
Triglyceride Trig Serum 50 µl


CSF

Test name Test initials Specimen Minimum volume
CSF Creatine Kinase CKCSF Spinal fluid 50 µl
CSF Glucose GluCSF Spinal fluid 50 µl
CSF Total Protein MTPCSF Spinal fluid 50 µl
CSF CK & Protein n/a Spinal fluid 75 µl
CSF Protein, CK and Glucose n/a Spinal fluid 75 µl


Urine

Test name Test initials Specimen Minimum volume
Urine Calcium CaU Urine 50 µl
Urine Chloride ClU Urine 50 µl
Urine Creatinine CreatU Urine 50 µl
Urine Chloride/Creatinine CI/CreatU Urine 75 µl
Urine Gamma Glutamyltransferase GGTU Urine 50 µl
Urine Magnesium MgU Urine 50 µl
Urea Nitrogen Urea Urine 50 µl
Urine Phosphorous PhosU Urine 50 µl
Urine Potassium KU Urine 50 µl
Urinary Protein MTPU Urine 50 µl
Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio UP/UC Urine 50 µl
Urine Sodium NaU Urine 50 µl

 

Chemistry panels

Research panels available Tests included in panels Minimum volume Species
Electrolyte Profile Anion Gap, HCO3, Ca, Cl, Mg, Phos, Na, K, LIH 250 µl Alpacas, Bovine, Camelids, Canines, Equine, Feline, Llamas, Mice, Mink, Porcine, Rabbits, Rats, Other
Large Animal Hepatic Alb, ALP, AST, CK, GGT, SDH, TP, Gluc, Tbili, LIH 250 µl Alpacas, Bovine, Camelids, Equine, Llamas, Porcine, Other
Large Animal Mini-Basic HCO3, Ca, Cl, CK, GGT, Gluc, K, TP, Creat, Na, LIH 250 µl Alpacas, Bovine, Camelids, Equine, Llamas, Porcine, Other
Large Animal Profile Alb, ALP, Anion Gap, AST, HCO3, Tbili, BUN, Ca, Cl, CK, Creat, GGT, Gluc, Glob, LIH, Mg, Osmolality, Phos, K, Na, SDH, TP 250 µl Alpacas, Bovine, Camelids, Equine, Llamas, Porcine, Other
Non-human Primate ALT, Alb, AlP. Anion ap, AST, HCO3, Tbili, BUN, Ca, Cl, Chol, CK, Creat, GGT, Globulin, Gluc, LIH, MG, Osmolality, K, Na, TP, Trig 250 µl Non-human primates
Pick 2 Research Panel Pick any two analytes from the single test list (Excludes Phenobarbitol, Trig, LDH & Bile Acids) 50 µl Serum Samples only. Available for most lab species. Check with lab for exotic species.
Pick 5 Research Panel Pick any five analytes from the single test list (Excludes Phenobarbitol, Trig, LDH & Bile Acids) 100 µl Serum Samples only. Available for most lab species. Check with lab for exotic species.
Renal Profile Alb, Anion Gap, BUN, Ca, Chol, Cl, Creat, HCO3, Gluc, K, Mg, Na, Osmolality, Total Protein, BHY, Phos 250 µl Available for routinely utilized lab species. Check with lab for exotic species.
Small Animal Hepatic ALT, Alb, ALP, Amylase, AST, Tbili, Chol, GGT, TP 250 µl Canine, Feline, Mice, Mink, Rabbits, Rats
Small Animal Profile ALT, Alb, ALP, Amylase, Anion Gap, AST, HCO3, BUN, Ca, Cl, Chol, Creat, GGT, Gluc, Globulin, LIH, Mg, Osmolality, Phos, K, Na, TP, Tbili, CK 250 µl Canine, Feline, Mice, Mink, Rabbits, Rats
Small Animal, Basic ALT, Alb, ALP, Tbili, BUN, Creat, Gluc, K, Na, TP, LIH, Anion Gap, C1, HCO3 250 µl Canine, Feline, Mice, Mink, Rabbits, Rats
Urine Profile Cl, Creat, K, Na 150 µl Most species. Check with lab for exotic species.

Small volume protocols

Small volume biochemical profile: Collection protocols for small volume specimens (mice, rats, rabbits, etc.)

Instrument

Beckman Coulter AU480; Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA

Sample requirements

Blood should be collected into plain red top tubes with no additive or gel separator.  Following collection, blood should be allowed to clot, centrifuged at 1700 rcf* for 10 minutes, the serum removed and placed into another plain red top tube or other, sterile, additive-free, plastic tube.  To prevent analytical error, serum should be removed from the clot within 1 hour of sampling.  Required volumes are listed in the table below.   

*rcf = relative centrifugal force = 0.00001118 x r (rotational radius in cm) x RPM2

Option Description of item Required serum volume (Note: not whole blood volume)
1 Single test 50 µLs**
2 Two tests 75µLs**
3 Research panel of up to 5 tests (can be customized) 100µLs**
4 Larger panels and profiles 250 µLs**

 

**If the specimen is short volume, the lab will attempt to run as many tests as possible.

Appropriate tubes

The following tubes are suitable for blood collection and analysis using the Beckman AU480. Please contact the lab if you have questions regarding the appropriate tube to utilize for your samples.

Name Sample volume Mfr #
BD Microtainer Capillary Blood Collector 400 µL 365957
BD Microtainer Capillary Blood Collector with BD Microgard 250-500 µL 365963


Sample handling

Label tubes using permanent marker with a legible, simplified numbering system. Samples should be refrigerated as soon as possible following collection. Transport with cold packs is recommended; do not transport directly on ice. Please contact the lab for further instruction if you would like to submit archived, frozen samples for analysis.

Results

Results are available in Excel format.

Common interferences

Certain degrees of lipemia, hemolysis, and icterus (LIH) may interfere with analysis of some analytes.  LIH indices and the expected interferences are reported for basic and full profile samples. Potassium levels may be artifactually increased and glucose artifactually decreased in samples where serum has sat on the blood clot for an extended period of time.

Large volume protocols

Large volume biochemical profile: Collection protocols for large volume specimens (dogs, pigs, camelids, horses, etc.)

Instrument

Beckman AU480, Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA

Sample requirements

Blood should be collected into plain red top tubes with no additive or gel separator.  Following collection, blood should be allowed to clot, centrifuged at 1700 rcf* for 10 minutes, the serum removed and placed into another plain red top tube or other, sterile, additive-free, plastic tube.  To prevent analytical error, serum should be removed from the clot within 1 hour of sampling.  Required volumes are listed in the table below.   

*rcf = relative centrifugal force = 0.00001118 x r (rotational radius in cm) x RPM2

Option Description of item Required serum volume (Note: not whole blood volume)
1 Single test 50 µLs**
2 Two tests 75µLs**
3 Research panel of up to 5 tests (can be customized) 100 µLs**
4 Larger panels and profiles 250 µLs**

**If the specimen is short volume, the lab will attempt to run as many tests as possible.

Appropriate tubes

The following tubes are suitable for blood collection and analysis using the Beckman Coulter AU480. Please contact the lab if you have questions regarding the appropriate tube to utilize for your samples.

Name Sample volume Mfr#
BD Vacutainer Blood Tubes (glass tubes, no additive) 3 mL 366397
BD Vacutainer Blood Tubes (glass tubes, no additive) 7 mL 366397
BD Vacutainer Blood Tubes (glass tubes, no additive) 10 mL n/a

Sample handling

Label tubes using permanent marker with a legible, simplified numbering system.  Samples should be refrigerated as soon as possible following collection.  Transport with cold packs is recommended; do not transport directly on ice.  Please contact the lab for further instruction if you would like to submit archived, frozen samples for analysis. 

Results

Results are available in Excel format.

Common interferences

Certain degrees of lipemia, hemolysis, and icterus (LIH) may interfere with analysis of some analytes.  LIH indices and the expected interferences are reported for basic and full profile samples. Potassium levels may be artifactually increased and glucose artifactually decreased in samples where serum has sat on the blood clot for an extended period of time.