N. Kirschvink et al., Comparison of inulin with urea as dilutional markers of bronchoalveolar lavage in healthy and heaves-affected horses, VET RES, 32(2), 2001, pp. 145-154
Solute analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid involves the use of dilutio
nal markers to correct for variable recovery of pulmonary epithelial lining
fluid (PELF). Urea is the best characterised endogenous marker, whereas in
ulin appears to meet the requirements of an exogenous marker. In horses, th
e use of inulin has never been investigated and the impact of lower airway
diseases such as heaves, on PELF recovery is unknown. In this study, five h
ealthy and five heaves-affected horses underwent airway endoscopy and bronc
hoalveolar lavage. PELF recovery from bronchoalveolar lavage was calculated
by the inulin and the urea method. The inulin method was compared to the u
rea method and differences between healthy and heaves-affected horses were
analysed. From a technical and analytical point of view, inulin fulfilled t
he requirements of a marker of dilution as well as urea. When both healthy
and heaves-affected horses groups were pooled together, PELF recovery calcu
lated by the inulin method was significantly higher than by the urea method
(6.43 +/- 4.08% versus 0.789 +/- 0.299%, P < 0.005). No significant differ
ences were observed between healthy and heaves-affected horses, neither by
the inulin nor by the urea method. Inulin did not present major advantages
over urea, but the combined use of both markers can improve the standardisa
tion of studies comparing PELF compounds, by providing upper limits (inulin
dilution) and lower limits (urea dilution) of PELF recovery.