Further information
(internal access only)
Secretariat
Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine
Preclinical Research Center (PRC)
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin
phone: +49 30 9406 3521
The Animal Phenotyping Platform is able to perform comprehensive analyses of your animals' laboratory values. Up to 39 biochemical parameters can be determined from serum, plasma or urine by a colorimetric measurement approach. Amounts of electrolytes, i.e. sodium, potassium and chloride, can be identified by electric conductance with ion selective electrodes (ISE) in your samples.
Each parameter can be measured in a very small amount of sample material. This enables both the monitoring of critical laboratory values in sequential samples during studies and the complete blood analysis in endpoint experiments.
For additional information about the specific amounts of sample material, please see the Sample Volumes section below and ask the facility staff.
Please read our guidelines of Sample Preparation in the section below and get in touch with us for further questions without hesitation!
Several clinical parameters can be measured at our lab by using the AU480 clinical chemistry analyzer (Beckman Coulter). The wet-chemistry-based colorimetric and enzymatic methods of the AU480 allow a rapid and precise assessment of parameters such as enzymes (e.g. creatine kinase, lipase, alkaline phosphatase...) or biochemical substrates (e.g. glucose, cholesterol, albumin...).
Vital electrolytes (i.e. Na, K and Cl) can be determined by using the Ion-Selective-Electrode technology (ISE).
Abbr. | Parameter | Unit | Measuring Range |
ALB | Albumin | g/l | 15 - 60 |
ALP | Alkaline Phosphatase | U/l | 5 - 1500 |
ALT | Alanine Aminotransferase | U/l | 3 - 500 |
AMM | Ammonia | µg/dl | 17 - 1020 |
AMYL | Amylase | U/l | 10 - 1500 |
AST | Aspartate Aminotransferase | U/l | 3 - 1000 |
CA | Calcium | mg/dl | 4 - 20 |
CHOL | Cholesterol, total | mg/dl | 25 - 700 |
CK | Creatine Kinase, total | U/l | |
CK-MB | Creatine Kinase, isoenzyme M/B | U/l | 10 - 2000 |
CL | Chloride | mmol/l | 50 - 200 |
CRE | Creatinine | mg/dl | 0.05 - 50 |
CRP | C-Reactive Protein | mg/l | 0.08 - 80 |
CYSC | Cystatin C | mg/l | 0.4 - 8 |
DBIL | Bilirubine, direct | mg/dl | 0 - 10 |
FE | Iron | µg/dl | 10 - 1000 |
FERR | Ferritin | µg/l | 8 - 450 |
FRUC | D-Fructose | mg/dl | 2-80 |
GGT | Gamma Glutamyl Transferase | U/l | 3 - 1200 |
GLU | Glucose | mg/dl | 10 - 800 |
HDL | High Density Lipoprotein | mg/dl | 2.5 - 200 |
K | Potassium | mmol/l | 1 - 10 |
LAC | Lactate | mg/dl | 2 - 120 |
LDH | Lactate Dehydrogenase | U/l | 25 - 1200 |
LDL | Low Density Lipoprotein | mg/dl | 7 - 400 |
LIP | Lipase | U/l | 3 - 600 |
MG | Magnesium | mg/dl | 2 - 8 |
NA | Sodium | mmol/l | 50 - 200 |
PHOS | Phosphorous, inorganic | mg/dl | 1 - 20 |
TBIL | Bilirubine, total | mg/dl | 0 - 30 |
TP | Protein, total | g/l | 30 - 120 |
TRF | Transferrin (TIBC) | mg/dl | 75 - 750 |
TRIG | Triglycerides | mg/dl | 10 - 1000 |
UA | Uric Acid | mg/dl | 0,5 - 18,0 |
UIBC | Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity | µg/dl | 55 - 550 |
UREA | Urea | mg/dl | 5 - 300 |
Abbr. | Parameter | Unit | Measuring Range |
AMYL | Amylase | U/l | 10 - 4800 |
CA | Calcium | mg/dl | 0.1 - 40 |
CL | Chloride | mmol/l | 15 - 400 |
CRE | Creatinine | mg/dl | 1 - 500 |
GLU | Glucose | mg/dl | 1 - 800 |
K | Potassium | mmol/l | 2 - 200 |
MG | Magnesium | mg/dl | 5 - 22 |
NA | Sodium | mmol/l | 10 - 400 |
PHOS | Phosphorous, inorganic | mg/dl | 0 - 350 |
UA | Uric Acid | mg/dl | 2 - 400 |
UALB | Urinary Albumin | mg/dl | 0.7 - 45 |
UP | Urinary Protein | mg/dl | 0 - 200 |
UREA | Urea | mg/dl | 60 - 4500 |
Please note that the instrument is calibrated according to the specific measurement ranges. Due to technical reasons, assessed values are only reliable if they fit in these ranges. In case you expect values that clearly differ from those, please tell us before submitting your samples. We will then able to prepare adequate dilutions of your samples.
In order to achieve the best and most reliable data from any measurement in fields of clinical chemistry it is absolutely necessary to follow some instructions.
First of all, please note that sample material such as blood is a fragile substance!
We strictly recommend to use the least invasive and traumatic method of sampling possible depending on your experimental design. For example, due to blood-sampling in final experiments you might give consideration to the exsanguination by apical punctuation of the heart instead of decapitation to prevent blunt traumata and contamination of dripping blood.
The right choice of your sample container is also very important. Most of the biochemic parameters are measured in blood-serum. To achieve the most complete and efficient clotting of the sample, it is recommended to use tubes coated with a clot activator. A gel phase in the tube can make the subsequent separation of the serum sample particularly easy and effective.
However, some parameters are also preferably measured in plasma. Therefore, you might avoid any coagulation by using anticoagulant coated sample-tubes. For the vast majority of measurements in plasma samples, lithium heparin is the most suitable anticoagulant.
However, this is not always the case. Glucose and lactate, for example, are determined as standard in sodium fluoride plasma.
You really should never use EDTA plasma for clinical chemistry! EDTA blood is only suitable for haematological examinations.
Each kind of tube is available for different amounts of blood (100 µl, 200 µl… 500 µl). It is important to choose the right size of the pre-treated tubes for your targeted sample volume!
Please contact us for further assistance!
Measurements in clinical chemistry are exclusively conducted with samples of plasma, serum or urine. Subsequently mentioned sample volumes refer to these sample types.
In order to greatly increase the sample throughput and to shorten the time until the results are output, we use a partially automated measurement procedure. For this reason, an initial start volume of 25µl plus the measuring volume of the respective parameters per sample is required.
This starting volume is only required once for a continuous measurement in one sample, regardless of how many parameters are to be determined!
For example:
1. Parameter X requires 5µl for measurement. The total volume required for this measurement is then:
2. Parameters X, Y and Z require 5µl, 12µl and 2µl for measurement, respectively. The total volume required for this measurement is then:
3. For measurement of electrolytes, i.e. sodium, potassium and chloride, an ISE volume of 20µl is necessary.
4. Electrolytes and Parameters X, Y, and Z can be measured in:
Please note that these are the minimum volumes for a simple determination of the values. A repeat measurement, e.g. because of a necessary dilution, is not possible with this. Therefore, we strongly recommend to deliver more sample volume or to have a test measurement performed on a few samples in advance to determine the value ranges.