COMPOSITION OF CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID IN HEALTHY ADULT LLAMAS

Cerebrospinal fluid and serum were obtained from 17 adult, healthy lla mas (9 males, 1 castrated male, and 7 females). Osmolality; activities of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase; and concentrations of g lucose, sodium, chloride, potassium, total protein, and albumin were d etermined in serum and CSF. Total and differential cell counts were de termined in CSF, and electrophoresis of CSF proteins was performed. To tal nucleated cell count was low, 0 to 3/mu l, which is lower than tha t reported for other domestic species and is similar to values in heal thy people. Differential leukocyte percentages were disparate dependin g on the degree of blood contamination. Blood contamination influenced the percentage of neutrophils and eosinophils in CSF. Samples with fe w erythrocytes had differential leukocyte distribution similar to that of other species: mostly lymphocytes, fewer monocytoid cells, and sca nt neutrophils. Older llamas had a few eosinophils in the CSF. Total p rotein, albumin, and gamma-globulin concentrations in llamas were simi lar to values in cattle and were higher than values in most domestic s pecies. Glucose concentration in CSF was approximately 40% of the valu e in serum (nonruminant animals and peoply typically have CSF glucose concentration that is approximately 60 to 80% of the serum glucose con centration). Sodium and Cl concentrations in CSF were higher than thos e in serum, whereas K concentration was lower in CSF, compared with se rum. Activities of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in CSF we re markedly lower than those in serum, and the ranges of values in thi s group of healthy llamas were narrow.